Forever Fornever I
by The Crystal Hand Alchemists
Summary: There are many different poisons in life...and pride is one of them. Is Yusuke strong enough to overcome his own in order to recieve help from this Spirit Guardian? Or will his pride eventually consume him? PLEASE R&R! COMPLETED & REVISED
1. First Position

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any yyh stuff, sorry.

A/N: hey! It's me, kitkat and I'm ready for the party! (Hehe, I'm listing to Gretchen Wilson's "I'm Here for the Party")

Well, I actually got the basis of this fic from a dream I had a while ago, so I just decided to write it down! And I'm not expecting it to be the best thing in the world, but I just thought it would make an interesting story (even though I think it's been done before…)

This fic may be a little short since I'm not quite sure where I'm going with it, lol, but I'll try and work it out as best as I can. Keep in mind, though, I suck at anime fics, don't ask me why, but I just am.

NO FLAMES PLEASE! ONLY CONSTRUCTIVE CRITISM!

This fic is dedicated to my friend Silver Ivy for pushing me along the lines of a yyh or Inuyasha story, so this is it! (Check out her fics too! They're really good!)

Enjoy!

/Yoko Kurama/

_Thoughts_

_Fire Dancer_

: First Position:

The soft, tranquil music filled the empty stage and drifted through the vacant auditorium. Rain pelted dully against the window panes and thunder rumbled off in the distance. A single girl lay on the plywood flooring as she stared into the red spotlights. She closed her eyes wearily and rolled onto her stomach and punched a button on her boom-box.

A new song started up and she rose from the floor. Her bare feet dragged leisurely along the stage and she casually raised and lowered her arms fluidly as she tried to remember the steps to the dance.

"Step one two…kick-twirl…step two three…" she murmured under her breath as she twirled beneath the lights; her creamy orange hair shimmering with each swish of her hips. The gold rings around her ankles jangled to the beat. A marmalade colored scarf swayed at her waist and fell to the tip of her red bellbottom capris. A pale yellow blouse covered a silky pink tube top that fell just above her navel.

The only thing that seemed odd about her was either the flame tattoo that wrapped around her arm or the pair of slightly pointed ears protruding from the side of her head. But the change was so vague that they were nearly invisible unless one was truly paying attention to them.

She flung her head back and let the crimson beams wash over her; her azure eyes shimmering beneath the lights. Her arms were posed elegantly behind her arched back and her legs crossed in front of one another.

Lightning flashed across the window causing her shadow to envelope the curtain behind her. Small beads of sweat perspired off her brow, but she wiped them away quickly.

The girl twirled across the stage; her feet only moving within the small circle she allowed.

Music still swirl around her and she continued her dance. Though as the song continued, another girl appeared watching the dancer leap across the floor. The visitor clutched a bottled water and swished it around in the container absently before stepping out onto the stage.

"Come on, Mai, you've been at it for nearly three hours!" the spectator commented restlessly, "Give it a rest, will ya?"

The girl shook her head and continued to whirl, but didn't reply.

Her friend groaned irritably and nearly slammed her foot on the boom-box, ending the music and she ripped out the CD.

Mai stopped abruptly, "Hey! Ayami (A/N: sorry guys, I don't know many Japanese names…) I need that song! The competition is next week!"

"Exactly!" Ayami protested, "You have to take a break or else you'll be too fatigued to dance at all!" she sighed and let her tone loosen, "Come on, it's late…let's go and get a cup of coffee or something!"

The dancer paused for a moment before giving in, "Fine, fine. Just give me a few more minutes…"

Her friend smiled brightly and handed back the CD, "I'll meet you at my car, alright?"

Mai nodded and waited until the girl closed the backstage store before slipping the disk back into the CD player. She pressed a few buttons before coming to the previous song and made her way to the middle of the floor.

A slow, sad violin hummed from the speakers followed by a steady guitar and piano. The dancer took a step before kicking up her leg and breathing in deep the music echoing in the auditorium.

Mai sighed quietly as the song ended and spun around one final time as the final note hung in the air awhile longer. The red spotlights lingered on her as she stood facing the imaginary audience.

But from deep in the theatre, a single applause rang eerily in the vast emptiness. Mai froze and blinked through the lights at a lone boy standing halfway down the aisles. He had long red hair that fell to his mid torso—maybe a little shorter—and emerald green eyes. He wore a pair of jeans and a crimson jacket that opened up into a white muscle shirt.

He smiled warmly and stepped a little closer to the front.

The dancer stopped her CD with her toe and carefully sat on the edge stage as he approached.

"Hi," she returned his grin and hung her legs over the ledge, "Were you…er…watching the whole thing?" she asked meekly.

The boy rested his arms on the stage, "For the most part, yes; I just happened to be passing by…" he stretched out his hand, but paused; thinking over his words, "I'm Suichi Minamino."

Mai clasped his hand warmly, "Well, Suichi, my name is Mai…Do you go to Sarayashiki (A/N: spelling? Oh, and I can't remember if Kurama really goes there with Yusuke or not…he does, though, right? O well, I'll figure it out later, please correct me if I'm wrong) High?"

He shook his head and the dancer smiled; he was certainly cute, especially with those deep green eyes, "I go to Meiou; I stopped by to drop something off for a friend…"

She frowned slightly, "This late?"

"Ah," he smiled gently, "I got sort of hung up…I was heading home when I heard music in here. I guess my curiosity got the better of me," he added with a faint twinkle in his eyes.

Mai blushed and stared down at her bare feet; suddenly realizing that she left her shoes offstage. But she didn't quite feel like retrieving them at the moment.

But unfortunately, the backstage doors could be heard opening as Ayami returned looking for her friend. The girl appeared behind the curtain and crossed her arms.

"I'm pretty sure that dance of yours isn't fifteen minutes long, Mai—," she paused when she saw Suichi standing on the ground in front of the stage. A teasing smile came to her lips, "But I'm sure there is some reason behind your delay…"

The dancer laughed nervously, "Ayami, this is Suichi…Suichi; this is my friend, Ayami."

Her friend smiled and nodded her head towards the boy, and he did the same. Mai rose from her spot and quickly popped the CD from the player.

"Sorry," she apologized timidly and started to head backstage, "Do you need a ride?"

Suichi shook his head, "No, I'll be fine; my house is only a few blocks away," he insisted.

"Alright, then…" she tucked the boom-box beneath her arm, "I guess I'll see you around then?" she asked over her shoulder.

The boy nodded and waved as she passed behind the curtain. Mai found her sandals near the back door and picked them up carefully; wary not to drop the player. She started to lean her shoulder against the side door, when she froze.

A pair of red eyes seemed to stare at her from the shadows. They seemed to only come a little bit above the waste, but looked human none-the-less.

She blinked, but the eyes immediately disappeared.

Mai frowned as Ayami stepped next to her.

"What is it?" her friend asked and stared at the spot where the eyes had last been seen, "Was something there?"

The dancer shook her head, "I don't know…"

Ayami watched for another moment before she sighed and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Well anywhos, it's been a long day; your eyes are probably just playing tricks on you…But lets hurry and grab a cup of coffee before the café closes…"

Her friend pushed past her and opened the door and the sound of the evening rain could be heard. But Mai kept her eyes on the spot awhile longer before shaking her head and following after the girl.

:-

Kurama remained in the auditorium awhile longer after the two girls had left. It was eerily quiet all save for the gentle pelting of the rain against the window. He stared out into the theatre and the vast empty room.

After a moment, he turned back towards the stage, "What do you think, Hiei?"

The red-eyed male crossed his arms, "Hn…I could definitely sense it, if that's what you mean," he muttered and strode across the stage, "Why? Her Reiki isn't nearly as strong as Yusuke's or Kuwabara's, why should we be worried about a weakling like her?"

Kurama shook his head, "Maybe it's nothing…"

Hiei snorted, "Well don't ask me to come on these errands of yours unless your positive…I have better things to do…"

With that, the demon disappeared and almost immediately, a rustle in the curtains signaled his leave. Kurama sighed and shook his head as he started to make his way back towards the theatre doors.

/We might as well keep an eye out for her/ Yoko said lazily/you never know with those humans…/

He didn't answer him. But Yoko clearly understood what he was thinking:

This girl was different.

A/N: sorry guys if this was a little crappy, but I've been at this for nearly an hour now, so please don't hate me! It's late and I want to go to bed!

Good night everyone! Please review!

Ja'ne!


	2. Kindle the Fire

DISCLAIMER: I don't own YYH, unfortunately…

A/N: Thanks a bundle to my first two reviewers Princess and Suzaku no miko!! Wow I only had the first chapter up and already two reviews! I feel so proud!! And to Silver Ivy, Mai is a character I made up—but thank you for reviewing!! (And as an add-on to that note, I have to say that I'm probably going to use my own villains too, so don't be alarmed if you don't recognize the names!)

LoL, well I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Cuz here's the next one!

Have Fun!!!

_Thoughts_

_Fire Dancer_

:: Kindle the Fire::

Mai watched sullenly as the rain continued to pour down from the bleak skies. The dull droning of her teacher seemed to sing her to sleep and she wearily rested her head in the palm of her hand. She glanced down at her wrist and sighed. Thank the gods that the period was almost over and she could go home to relax…

The dancer wiped her brow irritably. Was it really that hot in here? She looked around at the rest of the class who seemed perfectly fine…then why did she feel as though she was sitting in a boiler room?

Gently, she kicked the leg of her desk with her toe. _Please let the bell ring soon_, she pleaded to no one as she rubbed her temples. Maybe she shouldn't have stayed up so late last night…or at least cut practice a little shorter…

She raised her eyes to the black board, but the figures seemed to meld together. The girl blinked, but her vision remained blurred.

_Maybe I'm coming down with something_, she thought absently as she tapped her pencil on her notebook.

Thunder rumbled in the distance and the lights flickered slightly. Some of the kids became alert, but others merely continued to sleep. Their teacher didn't seem to notice and continued to drawl on with his lesson.

Mai stared at the florescent lighting inattentively and closed her eyes wearily. She mentally tried to go over her dance and which steps she could have improved on.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the bell above the door started to toll through the school. The class stood immediately and began to shuffle through their papers and books as they tried to make their way out of the classroom.

The dancer moved slowly and was one of the last to leave the room. She shuffled down the hallway as teens pushed passed her towards their lockers. Slowly, she made her way towards her own and twirled the combination and lifted the handle. The girl forced her books into the tight space and wrenched her satchel out and over her shoulder.

Wearily, she tried to force her way back into the sea of teens as they crowded the hallways. And she had nearly made it out the front doors and passed through the courtyard, but one of the students around her suddenly stumbled and sent the dancer tripping into the person in front of her

Her hand flew forward to break her fall between them, but nonetheless, the two fell to the ground with a thud and the guy's bag fell to the ground, scattering its contents.

"Oh crap, I'm sorry," Mai muttered apologetically and scrambled to pick up all the stuff that had been dropped.

The boy shook his head (which seemed to have an odd amount of gel in it…), "Damn, now Botan's going kill me…"

Mai glanced up at him briefly, noticing his caramel brown eyes and forest green uniform. Along with his raven black hair that fell in a few tiny strands on his forehead. She went rigid suddenly, however when she recognized him; the infamous Yusuke Urameshi; the one punk in the school no one dared mess around with. She swallowed hard, but Urameshi seemed more preoccupied with the fact that whoever this Botan person was was going to kill him.

She continued to retrieve his papers reluctantly, and then picked up what appeared to be a bright pink compactor…

"Uh…I think you dropped this…" She said handing it to him nervously.

The boy froze and flushed with embarrassment. He mumbled something incoherently and shoved it back into his bag. Mai couldn't help but send him a quizzical look; all the times she had seen him in the hallway, he always had that tough-guy attitude, but now he appeared rather clumsy.

The bustling students were all but entirely gone and they appeared to be the only one's left on the school grounds.

"Thanks—."

"Oi, Urameshi!"

Mai saw his face fall slightly as he turned to face the newcomer; a tall red-head that stood nearly a foot taller than the boy.

"Botan's looking for you…" he said as he approached, "Just as a little heads up—."

But even as the red-head spoke, a small ringing could be heard in Yusuke's bag. He quickly dug through it and retrieved the pink compactor. Mai stared at it, confused, _okay…so it's not a compactor…_

He flipped it open quickly and his friend peered over his shoulder; both seemed oblivious that Mai was still there and the fact that the yard was beginning to empty.

From the so-called 'mirror' a shrill voice could be heard.

"Yusuke where the hell are you?!" came a female voice, "Kuwabara was supposed to come and get you a half an hour ago!"

At this the red-haired boy quietly shrunk away from the compactor and pretended to act innocent. Urameshi rolled his eyes and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly as the girl on the other end continued to ramble on.

"…Koenma's about ready to have one of his tantrums again! Yusuke, just get over here so we can finish those de—,"

"Detergent errands!!!" Kuwabara intercepted so quickly that it caused Mai to jump and sweat-drop, "We'll go on those detergent errands as soon as we can!"

Urameshi stared at his friend as if he were insane, only, that is, until he caught sight of the girl before them, "Uh, ya…we'll make sure we get more _detergent_ won't we Kuwabara?" he said while giving his friend an icy glare, "By mom!"

The girl could be heard as she started to protest, but Yusuke quickly clicked the compactor shut and shoved it into his pocket.

From somewhere towards the streets, a loud honking could be heard; jerking the girl into attention.

"Damn," she muttered and pushed passed them hurriedly, "Sorry about bumping into you, Urameshi!" she called over her shoulder kind of nervously as if at any minute the two punks would remember what happened and try to beat her up.

But the two boys behind her paid no attention as she stumbled across the school grounds towards the busy street beyond.

She stumbled slightly on her way through the main gates, and soon recovered. But without warning, the world began to spin around her. She swayed dangerously and stumbled precariously to keep herself from falling over. Her head spun and she moaned as sweat suddenly began to perspire off her brow.

_What the hell?_

All of a sudden she felt her energy leaving her; she felt her knees beginning to buckle beneath her and she struggled to stay on her feet. Heat seemed to envelope her and she soon found it hard to breath.

Her support suddenly gave way and she felt the rocky earth against her knees. Strands of her orange hair fell in her face as her eyes seemed to lock onto the ground. The heat around her seemed so unbearable that it was nearly cold. She shivered and felt her brow building up perspiration rapidly.

_Gods, what's going on??_

Shadows danced before her eyes and she felt consciousness slipping away…

-:-

"Do you think we should take her to the nurse?" Kuwabara asked.

Yusuke shook his head; "She's not sick…" he said and felt the girl's forehead which had already started to cool down considerably. He fumbled with his bag before he withdrew the communicator, "Here," he said and tossed it to him, "Call Botan, will you?"

The Spirit Detective carefully wrapped the girl's arm around his neck and lifted her off the ground as Kuwabara punched in several buttons on the 'compactor'.

After a moment, the blue-haired girl appeared on the small screen looking exceptionally perturbed.

"Yusuke what the hell was that all about?! I may be the grim reaper but I am not old enough to be your mother!"

Kuwabara blinked, "Urameshi wants to talk to you…" he said meekly, his confidence suddenly struck down by her fury.

"Give me that!" Yusuke muttered and ripped the communicator from his friend's hands; "Botan, we're going to be running a little late…" he glanced awkwardly down at the girl he held, "We…er…got tied up…"

There was a sudden _pop_ (A/N: I don't know if Botan can do this or not, so bear with me, please…) and the blue-haired girl was standing in the hall with her arms folded across her chest.

"What do you mean you 'got tied up'—?" she froze suddenly when she saw Mai leaning unconscious on Yusuke, "What did you do?!"

"I didn't do anything!" the Spirit Detective protested angrily, "She just collapsed here in the hallway!"

Botan observed the girl closely and tapped her chin thoughtfully, "Any reason as to why?" she asked.

"Er…well, her Reiki level was pretty high for someone like her…" Kuwabara said hesitantly, "I mean, it was still low, but for her, it might have been too much for her to handle…"

Yusuke frowned slightly, "You know, I felt that too…I didn't really think much of it, but I think you might be right…" he shifted his weight as Mai suddenly slumped over and he glanced at Botan, "What should we do with her? She doesn't look like she's doing too well…"

"How should I know?!" she asked frantically, "We can't take her back to Koenma! That would definitely end up in an uproar in the Spirit World!"

Urameshi thought for a moment before readjusting Mai's arm over his shoulder, "Well then, how about we go to the next best thing?"

-:-

A/N: well then, I hope you all enjoyed!! Once again, I have to remind you that I suck at anime fics and I don't necessarily know where I'm going with this ::nervous laugh::

But it will make more sense later, I promise!!

Peace and luv!!

kitkat


	3. A Mystery Unfolds

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything:runs off and sobs in a corner: lol, but I do own Mai and all my other original characters!

Okay and I've decided that this fic takes place right before YYH and co. meet Older and Younger Toguro and Sakyo, but it will continue through that part and hopefully through the Dark Tournament Saga…

/Yoko Kurama/

_Thoughts_

_Fire Dancer_

: A Mystery Unfolds:

"Hey Grandma, we're home!" Yusuke yelled through the house. But no one answered and he sighed irritably, "Yo Genkai!"

"Shut up dimwit; I'm in here…" came the aged voice as she appeared through one of the doorways. Her paled pink hair curled around her shoulders and her gray eyes reflected back her annoyance, "What did you do this time?" She asked when she noticed Mai.

An artery pulsed in the Spirit Detective's temple, "I didn't do anything! And why did you accuse me of this first!" he demanded.

Genkai snorted; "Because it's usually always your fault…" she turned her back towards them and headed back through the doorway, "Bring her in here."

Yusuke followed after her without question as Botan and Kuwabara appeared at the front door holding their umbrellas. The blue-haired girl chook hers off and set it along the wall. Kazuma—who wasn't paying attention—struck his head on the low doorframe before he finally entered.

She led them into a small living room with only a single chair and couch as well as a short coffee table in the center. A teapot and cups had been laid around the table as if she had already been expecting them.

Urameshi set the girl along the couch and Genkai observed her quietly. Kuwabara took of cup of tea and settled in the arm chair as Botan stood behind him. The Spirit Detective rested his arms on the back of the couch and waited.

After a moment, Genkai turned to him, "So what happened?" she asked.

He shrugged, "Not much; she accidentally knocked me over and helped me pick up my things. Then she ran off, but fainted before she got too far."

Kuwabara nodded in agreement, "Yeah, and before she did, there was just a small amount of Spirit Energy around her…"

"So who is she, Yusuke?" Botan asked.

"How the hell should I know!" he snapped, "I don't even recognize her!"

"…Mai Arakawa…Age 14…height 5'6…" Kuwabara answered as he read off a small piece of laminated paper. A small backpack-purse sat in his lap.

Yusuke quickly strode over towards him and ripped the card from his hands and stared down at the purse, "Where did you get _that_!"

"She dropped it when she passed out," he replied innocently, "I thought she might want it back when she woke up…" he fumbled through the bag and pulled out a tube of lip-gloss, "Oo! Mint flavored!"

Botan quickly snatched it away along with the purse, "Give me those!"

The Spirit Detective stared down at the ID Kuwabara had discovered. The blue-haired girl peered over his shoulder. She glanced down at the purse and cautiously looked inside.

She pulled out a CD, "Oh! Classy!" she commented and rummaged through the bag, pulling out a small—but thick—book, "Bio-Chem 101?"

"Great," Yusuke muttered, "Another bookworm like Kurama…"

Genkai sighed irritably, "Well, if you three are done looking through her private life, maybe you would like to help…"

The trio froze guiltily and set Mai's purse on the table.

"Sorry, Grandma," Urameshi muttered.

She folded her arms, "Was there anything in there that would have told us where she lives?" she asked Botan directly.

Yusuke smirked, "I thought you didn't want us looking through her 'private life'."

"Shut up, dimwit," she muttered dangerously, "_I'm _trying to help her…"

Botan picked up the purse once more and peered inside, "Er…I don't think—oh, wait!" she pulled out a cell-phone and started to press the 'Scroll' button through the memory bank. She frowned after a moment, "It doesn't appear as though she has a number for home…"

Genkai glanced back at the girl quietly as she thought over the circumstances.

Urameshi tapped his foot gently, "Can't we just wait for her to wake up? Then she can head on home; I mean, maybe her Reiki was just acting up or something…"

The old woman stepped on his foot and the boy fought back his angry outburst, "Yusuke, you idiot," she shook her head, "Even if it was a fluke, what do you think will happen if you energy suddenly gets out of hand? She has to learn how to control it."

"Well that's a great idea!" the Spirit Detective squealed with mock-enthusiasm, "But there's only one problem! She doesn't know anything about demons or the Spirit World! How do you think she'll react if and when she finds out! She'll think we're all crazy!"

"I don't expect her to understand," Genkai replied calmly, "Her powers are beginning to awaken and she'll come to realize that in time…it's our job just to make sure that we tell her as best as we can and hope that she comes to accept it."

"So we come back to another question," Botan spoke quietly, "Why did her powers decide to surface at that particular moment? She was under no pressure and wasn't being attacked or anything…"

Genkai turned to Yusuke, "You said she bumped into you, right?" he nodded, "When you two made contact, her Spirit Energy must have been drawn to yours…and in doing so, her powers were pulled to the surface…"

"So let me get this straight," Botan said, "Yusuke's Spirit Energy acted sort of like a magnet and when they bumped into each other, her powers were trying to connect with his?"

The old woman nodded, "In a sense, yes…"

"But why?" Urameshi questioned.

Genkai didn't answer; she quietly made her way towards a book shelf sitting along the back wall. Her finger trailed along the spines of the tomes before withdrawing a simple leather-bound book. She returned back to the group and shoved it into Yusuke's gut. He winced but caught it before it was able to fall.

"What the hell is this?"

"A book," the woman replied sarcastically, "Go to page fifty-seven, will you? And try learning something for once."

Yusuke mumbled something incoherent, but did as he was told. He flipped through the pages as Botan and Kuwabara came and read over his shoulder.

Page fifty-seven held a single ink painting and a column of text. The picture was that of an indistinguishable form surrounded by rays of light. Flames seemed to devour the entire figure, but they did not look faze at the least. A staff wrought with gold was held by a hand and brandished before an imaginary foe.

At the top of the page were several scrolled words etched in gold:

_SPIRIT GUARDIAN_

"_The Spirit Guardian…_" Botan read, "_A rare and mysterious form that few have ever seen. Their beauty is hardly ever matched, but it is nothing compared to the power they possess. A Spirit Guardian is usually found in the company of a Spirit Detective only because it is their nature to protect them_—."

"Protect!" Yusuke nearly yelled, "I don't need any protection—!"

"Shut up, jackass," Genkai muttered and took a sip of tea, "Finish reading the damn thing first before you start yapping away again…"

The Spirit Detective glowered and folded his arms, "She doesn't even look that pretty…" he mumbled.

Botan ignored him and took the book in her hands and observed the page carefully, "_A Spirit Guardian's doesn't show signs of their powers until they have made contact with their charge; usually a Spirit Detective. And from that moment on, their energy begins to grow rapidly, and if the Guardian does not learn to control it, their powers will eventually consume them from the inside out…_"

"Well that sounds pleasant," Kuwabara mumbled, but the girl quickly hushed him.

"_But once they have learned the ways in controlling their powers, the Guardian is likely to follow its charge until either they themselves or the Detective passes on permanently into the Spirit World…_"

Botan paused briefly before she turned to Genkai, "Do you really think she's a Spirit Guardian?" she asked, "There have been so few of them; I mean, the last guardian was over—"

"Over fifty years ago…I know," The woman set her teacup down on the coffee table, "But it hasn't been since those fifty years that symptoms like these have resurfaced," she paused and stared down into the dark liquid in her cup, "I would hate to take the chance of letting her slip past us if she really is a guardian…"

A muscle in Yusuke's jaw jerked slightly as he stared down at the red-haired girl, "What's her to us anyway? She can't be _that _important."

Genkai stared at the detective sternly, "To us?" she repeated slowly, "To _you_, Yusuke… she could be the difference between your life and death…"

:-

A/N: yay! Alrighty, I hope you all enjoyed! I'm going to leave it at this for right now and hope that you guys like it.

Ciao!


	4. Spirit Guardian

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any YYH stuff!

I kinda had to change the time frame between the time after the Saint Beast thingy and when the YYH co. goes to meet the Toguros so that Mai has a chance to meet everyone and…erm…well I can't tell you what else or it would ruin if for you!

LoL, enjoy the next chappie! (even if it kinda sucks because of that damn writer's block!)

_Thoughts/Flashback and Dreams_

_Fire Dancer_

: Spirit Guardian:

"Well this sucks," Yusuke muttered as he and Kuwabara waited outside. The rain continued to drizzle along the shingles as the day slowly began to fade away. Botan and Genkai remained inside with Mai in case she woke up…gods it would have been hell if she had woken up and first found the two boys in the room with her.

"I dunno…" Kazuma said thoughtfully, "She looked kind of pretty to me; I mean I would go out with her…" he added with a suspiciously perverted gleam in his eye.

Urameshi quickly hit him over the head with his fist, "Not that!" he folded his arms in frustration, "I don't need no frickin Guardian following me around! I've been doing fine without one, haven't I?"

"Er…well, you've almost gotten killed a few times…" he started hesitantly and muttered, "Not to mention you've already died once…"

"But I'm alive now, aren't I?"

Kuwabara didn't answer and Yusuke sighed angrily and kicked the wooden porch in frustration, "I don't need a Spirit Guardian or whatever crap Genkai's trying to pull," he muttered dangerously.

:-

"Is she up yet?" Botan asked as she popped her head into the living room.

Genkai shook her head, but didn't say anything. The blue-haired girl sighed and returned to the kitchen next door. The old woman merely watched Mai as she tossed fitfully in her sleep. The energy around her was growing steadily and sweat began to perspire off her brow.

The girl shivered and curled into a ball along the couch while burying her face into the cushions. Her mouth opened and closed softly as if she was trying to speak, but no words came out. Her eyes were clenched shut and she whimpered fearfully from the pits of her dreams.

Botan returned shortly thereafter and sat in the vacant armchair, "When do you think she'll come to?" she asked after a moment, "I mean, she should wake up soon, right?"

Genkai lowered her eyes and shook her head, "I'm not quite sure…did you ever get a hold on Kurama or Hiei?"

"Hiei? Gods no…but Koenma probably has Kurama swamped with work ever since the poor boy was hired to work for him…" she sighed in exasperation, "But I did leave a message…though I'm not quite sure how much help that's going to do…" she trailed off and her eyes lingered on the girl slumbering along the couch.

Mai continued to toss in her sleep, but did not show signs of waking. She whimpered softly to herself and clutched the pillow in her fist. She shuddered and clenched her eyes shut.

The woman sighed heavily and closed her eyes, "Let's pray that she wakes up soon…"

Botan nodded and placed her elbows on her knees, "I wonder what she's dreaming about…"

:-

_Where was everyone?_

_Why was it so dark?_

…_Where the hell was I?_

_My footsteps echoed eerily through the darkness, but I continued to travel…to where, though, I had no idea. Whispers could be heard off in the distance, but I couldn't understand what they were saying, no could I see those who were speaking._

"_Hello?" I called…but no one answered me. The voices grew slightly louder, though, as if I was getting closer to them._

_And then, far ahead, a faint speck of light dotted the bleak night. I sighed with relief and quickened my pace. Finally I would get out of this god-forsaken place!_

_The glow steadily grew as I continued to follow after it. I felt a sudden blast of heat—like a desert storm—coming from the portal ahead. But I continued to run towards it; anything was better than staying here…wherever here was._

_The light soon enveloped me and I was blinded briefly by its radiance. I blinked and shielded my eyes from the glow. By the time the light faded, I looked up and gasped._

_Now where was I?_

_Fires devoured everything and seemed to line the entire horizon as smoke billowed into the sky. Heat enveloped the air and sizzled along the earth. But no screams of terror could be heard…they were already dead._

_Scorched bodies lay strewn across the ground; their horrified faces frozen in time._

_A shiver raced down my spine despite the unbearable heat._

_But then, a sudden blast erupted through the air and rattled the earth. I stumbled but held my ground. My eyes quickly darted towards the beam of bright blue energy that plowed through the fires ahead of me._

_I raced quickly towards the light, but for what reason I could not say._

_The flames lashed out at my legs, but I felt no pain. I dodged through the few spaces between the fires as the earth continued to rumble._

_Then as I ran, I could see two figures standing amidst the flames. One—a boy—knelt on the ground as blood poured from a gash beneath his raven black hair that had been tied behind his head. His shirt lay in tatters along his shoulders and his injured arm was clutching his chest as his wounds bled freely._

_Behind him was a woman draped in an elegant red and pink kimono. Pointed ears protruded from beneath her bright crimson hair that fell past her waist. She bore a golden staff and held it before herself and the boy. But she too was wounded and blood drenched the precious silk of her gown._

_They both faced the same direction, and I followed their gaze._

_And there, between the raging flames, a shadowy figure loomed over the earth with its crimson eyes ablaze. It was cloaked in midnight black fabric that hooded its form. The demon sent a shiver down my spine; watching the creature just stand there…not to mention the fact that an eerie aura pulsed around it._

_But none of them seemed to notice me as I stood within the flames. They all seemed locked in battle, even though the boy and girl seemed to be on the loosing side._

_Then, the crimson-haired girl knelt beside the boy and put her arm around him gently as tears streamed down her face._

"_Shunichi _(a/n: yes, it's supposed to be Shunichi not Suichi)_…" she murmured, "I think this might be the end…"_

_He shook his head forcefully, "Kira, we're not giving up now…you've stood by me since the beginning, will you not stand with me until the end?" he clenched the ground as he tried to stand, "I need my Guardian, Kira…I need you…"_

_The girl smiled sadly and rose as she held out her hand to the boy. He grasped it firmly and staggered to his feet to face the monster before him. Several of his wounds opened once more and bled, creating a crimson pool around his feet._

"_Ryu!" Shunichi roared across the battle field, "This is the end for you!"_

_The demon laughed mirthlessly, "You waste your breath, boy! There's no hope for either of you!"_

_But before Ryu could finish, Shunichi pushed his wrists together—palm outwards. His eyes blazed angrily as he glared at the demon._

_Kira suddenly realized what he was going to do, and tried to stop him, "Shunichi, NO!" she cried as a bright blue orb started to grow in his palms. But the blast already erupted from his hands. It roared across the battlefield towards the creature; ripping away the earth from its path._

_But almost immediately, the boy collapsed; his energy terminated._

_Ryu made no move to step aside from the attack, and merely swiped it away with his hand. The creature laughed at his useless attempt and Kira quickly fell beside her friend as tears fell along her blood-stained cheeks._

"_Shunichi!" she cried and shook the boy gently…but he did not stir, "…Shunichi…"_

_He was dead._

_I could only stand and watch in horror. What was this? Was it all a dream!_

"_Bastard!" Kira screamed and grasped her staff furiously, "You did this to him! You killed him!" her body shook and suddenly began to glow a pale red color, "I'll kill you for this!"_

_And before Ryu could reply, the girl pointed the staff towards him as a pink orb formed at its pinnacle. I felt the energy from her pulsing through me…it felt as though she was ready to put her entire life on the line for her fallen comrade. And Ryu must have known it._

_The pink light suddenly raced towards the creature, enveloping the smoky sky. Two different cries could be heard through the air and I shivered. Smoke and dust were flown into the air and lighting flashed above the fires._

_I covered my eyes and waited for the smoke to clear. When it finally did…I realized that I was suddenly alone._

_The beast Ryu was gone entirely…only a small wisp of smoke remained. My eyes fell on the spot where Kira and Sunichi were and I felt tears building up in my eyes._

_The girl now lay in a crumpled heap, her staff lying several feet away. Blood poured from her wounds and blended with Shunichi's._

_Without exactly knowing what I was doing, I stumbled towards her, but slipped and slid the rest of the way towards them. I cried out, but I was able to stop myself. I struggled to my knees and crawled to Kira's side._

_Her face was raised towards the sky, an eerily calm expression plastered on it. I froze, though, when I got a good look at her…_

_I murmured, "She…she looks like…"_

_Carefully, I reached out my hand to touch her scarred cheek. But before I could make contact, a bright flash surrounded me and I was suddenly blinded. I cried out and shielded my eyes from the sudden radiance._

:-

Mai suddenly sat straight up on the couch, her chest heaving as she gasped for air. Her orange hair lay in strands over her face.

"Holy crap, that was a crazy dream," she panted and then looked around warily; suddenly noticing her surroundings, "What the hell…?"

Botan suddenly poked her head through the door and smiled brightly, "Oh, hello!" she chirped, "You're finally up, I see! We were getting a little worried when you didn't wake up a few hours ago!" she stepped into the room cheerfully.

The dancer stared at her, "Who the hell are you? And where on earth am I?"

"Oh, I'm sorry!" she laughed, "I'm Botan and you're in Genkai's house…er…Yusuke and Kuwabara brought you here after you fainted—."

"You mean the red-head and the boy who needed to get detergent for his mom?" Mai asked, trying to remember.

"Uh, yeah…" she said and rubbed the back of her neck nervously.

Mai frowned slightly, "But why the hell did they bring me here?"

"Uh, well…the nurse decided that you needed to go home and rest…" she lied quickly, "But since we couldn't figure out where you lived, Yusuke…er…took you here to his grandma's house!"

The dancer nodded slowly, obviously not entirely convinced. The two sat in an awkward silence for a moment, before a low rumbling caught their attention.

"Oops," Mai blushed and stared down at her stomach, laughed slightly, "I guess I haven't eaten in awhile…do you, erm…"

"Oh!" Botan laughed, "Of course! We have food ready in the kitchen," she beamed, "I made it myself too!"

She smiled back and carefully lifted her legs over the side of the couch before standing back on her feet. Botan led her through the living room and into the kitchen on the other side where three other people already sat around a table.

The first two, the girl already knew…Yusuke and Kuwabara, but the other—the older looking woman—she didn't seem to recognize.

"So, the princess finally woke up!" Kuwabara commented as the two girls entered, a giant smile plastered on his face.

Mai returned the grin nervously and turned to face the others at the table. The other boy, Yusuke, looked less than ecstatic about her revival and the old woman—who she presumed was Genkai—didn't seem surprised that she was awake.

Botan suddenly pushed a warm bowl of something into her hands. Kuwabara suddenly leapt from his chair and moved to Mai's side, "You can have my seat!" he said excitedly.

"Uh…Kuwabara, there are enough chairs for everyone—," the blue-haired girl started to say, but he shot her a dangerous look, "But she can have your chair!"

So the girl took his chair which put her between Yusuke and across from Genkai. She placed her bowl awkwardly on the table and lowered her gaze away from the others as Botan and Kuwabara took the seats left vacant.

The group sat in silence for a few minutes. Mai was able to sense a great amount of distaste coming from the raven-haired boy next to her who kept his eyes on his food or fiddled constantly with his wristband.

After awhile, Genkai took a sip of her tea and set it quietly down on the table, "Do you have any parents, Mai? Or relatives that we might be able to contact?"

She suddenly bit her lip and stared down at her folded hands; trying to find the right words to say, "No…I…I live in the spare room in the old bookstore down by school…Ms. Megumi lets me work there to pay for rent…"

Urameshi snorted, "You live in a bookshop?"

"Yusuke!" Botan quickly hit him from beneath the table, but Mai flushed with embarrassment and bowed her head in shame.

"Aw, don't worry, babe!" Kuwabara said with a grin, "Urameshi can be a bit of an ass sometimes!"

"Shut it, Kazuma," the boy muttered dangerously and glowered to himself.

Genkai sighed with frustration, "All of you just be quiet," she said calmly, "If you've already forgotten, Mai is here for a reason…"

"Because I'm sick?" she tried softly.

The woman shook her head sadly and folded her hands together, "No, Mai…" she turned to Botan briefly, "Would you mind getting the book from earlier? It's on the table in the other room…"

The blue-haired girl nodded and left the room briskly. She returned soon enough and handed the tome to Genkai.

She took it carefully and pushed it gently towards Mai. The dancer looked at it carefully before carefully opening the leather cover. She peered at the title page curiously, before she frowned in confusion.

"What is this?" she asked in awe and slight fear.

Genkai watched her carefully, "Are you willing to listen?" she asked, "What I have to tell you is extremely important…" she glanced quickly at Yusuke, "And it concerns you most of all, Mai…"

The dancer glanced around the table nervously. Botan and Kuwabara grinned at her confidently while Urameshi seemed uninterested in the whole ordeal. She sighed and slowly nodded.

:-

Mai clutched the edge of the table, trying desperately to release her shock and partial fear. She felt the others watching her as Genkai finished telling her everything…

And she meant everything.

"Are you alright?" Botan asked quietly after a moment.

The dancer nodded and slowly released her grip on the table. She felt her body tremble as all the news suddenly sunk in for the first time. Was this all a joke? Was this just some sort of prank?

Then, she shook her head and quickly rose from the table, "I…I'm sorry—I just can't!"

Before anyone could stop her, Mai was running out the temple and down the path towards the road. Tears streamed down her face as she ran, but where she was heading, even she did not know…

_Gods, this is all just some bad dream, isn't it?_ She thought as she turned a corner, _There are no such things as demons or Spirit Detectives…There's no such thing as the Spirit World! Not since—_

_No…_

It hadn't been real for nearly eight years now—

But as the tears and pain swept through her, she did not notice the shadow following her from behind…

:-

Ciao!


	5. Dance of the Dragon

DISCLAIMER: I've stated this in the last four chapters already! But I don't own YYH or Evanescence.

A/N: If this fic seems a little off from the series, don't worry, it will catch up with it soon enough! Hehe, but I hope you enjoy this next chappie! Lots and lots of suspense and whatnot…and guess what else?

MWAHAHAHAHA you'll have to just see for yourself! Enjoy!

/Yoko Kurama/

_Thoughts_

_Fire Dancer_

:Dance of the Dragon:

Mai couldn't seem to stop running…she was far enough away from the others, but it didn't feel like she would ever get away. Tears continued to stream down her face as the rain began to empty from the heavens above.

Streetlamps flickered as she passed beneath them, and thunder bellowed nearby. Her uniform was drenched and the pouring rain continued to soak her to the bone, but she didn't seem to notice…She stopped suddenly beneath an intersection and looked up at the street sign.

The dancer shivered and glanced around warily as she clutched her body; suddenly feeling exposed to the world. No one else appeared to be out; there weren't hardly any cars driving by on the street either.

Her skin crawled from both fear and cold…what had she gotten herself into? Her orange hair lay plastered to her face and dripped down her neck slowly.

_I wonder if they'll come looking for me_, she thought to herself and glanced quickly over her shoulder _…Well screw them if they did; they're just wasting their time…I'm not going to be a part of their damn prank or whatever the hell it was that they were trying to pull…_

She glanced around once more. She was lost, that was a fact, but she had to keep moving, her senses told her that. She remembered from her childhood teachings that you shouldn't even be out after dark unless you're with a friend…

_A protector…_she thought despondently as the presence of her past memories drifted back to her.

And it didn't feel safe out on her own anyway; she felt exposed and vulnerable.

Cautiously, the dancer paced herself as she started out into the night once more. The evening was unusually quiet and still; as if everyone was trying to avoid her…

Rain could be heard pelting along the leaves of the nearby trees. Mai quickly dipped beneath the boughs and clutched either side of her body as she shivered. The girl leaned against the trunk of the tree and slid to the ground slowly, allowing her head to rest against the bark.

Only a few raindrops drizzled between the leaves and dropped gently onto the girl's head.

She sighed and huddled up into a ball. At the moment she would have given anything to cuddle up beneath her covers back at the shop.

Mai tucked her knees to her chin and wrapped her arms around them. Maybe she should just wait out the storm, and then she would find a way back home. But she didn't' like it out here on her own…something about being alone seemed to frighten her…

Ever since she had been little, being alone had always frightened her; no matter where she was. But He had always been there for her so it didn't matter then; He had never left her alone to fight the demons of her dreams…

Or of reality…

It seemed like hours dragging by as the girl waited beneath the tree, and still the rain did not let up…

Suddenly, the dancer's ears twitched as a sound drifted through the wind. She lifted her head from her knees and stared down the sidewalk.

And beneath a streetlight stood a single figure…and from his pursed lips, an eerie whistle drifted between the raindrops. The tune sent a shiver down her spine…something seemed vaguely different about him and yet something seemed hauntingly familiar too…

_You're too important for anyone_

_There's something wrong with everything you see_

_But I...I know who you really are_

_You're the one who cries when you're alone_

_-:-_

_Where will you go_

_With no one left to save you from yourself_

_You can't escape_

_You don't want to escape_

_-:-_

_How ever did you manage to push away_

_From every living thing you come across_

_So afraid that anyone will hate you_

_You pretend you hated them first_

_-:-_

_Where will you go_

_With no one left to save you from yourself_

_You can't escape the truth_

_I realize you're afraid_

_But you can't refrain from everything_

_You can't escape_

_You can't escape_

_-:-_

_You don't want to escape_

The boy appeared no older than herself, even though there as a strangeness about him that told her slightly otherwise.

Then after a moment, he took a step closer and his boot sloshed in a puddle near his feet.

On instinct, Mai stood slowly and carefully crouched behind the tree, but she was nearly positive that he had seen her already. But something about the boy sent an eerie chill through her veins and she prayed he would merely pass her by.

But the boy only whistled that eerie tune as he casually strolled along the path.

Something about him seemed to hold the girl glued to the spot, as if she couldn't find the strength or courage to run away.

He continued to stride closer towards her, but the terror still pulsed within her body as he approached little by little.

All of a sudden, the boy stopped beneath the streetlight in front of the dancer's hiding place. He stood there for a moment; his whistling tune finally fading into the storm. The, his head snapped quickly towards the tree—

His fiery crimson eyes ablaze.

Fear coursed through Mai's blood and she forced her self to step backwards…just as a vivid red aura emitted from him like fire.

He took a step forward, but the dancer could only stand in frozen terror…

Even when the demon slowly pursued…

:-

"Dammit, I don't see why _we_ have to go looking for her," Yusuke muttered and folded his arms angrily, "I mean, how are we supposed to find her anyway?"

"Yusuke, really!" Botan sighed, "Will you at least show some pity for the poor girl?"

He snorted, "No."

The blue-haired girl quickly hit him over the head with her fist.

"Ow! What the hell was that for!" He cried and massaged his skull tenderly, "That really hurt…" he pouted.

"Sometimes you can be so hot-headed," Botan replied and ripped the umbrella from his hands, leaving him in the rain. She quickly strode ahead next to Kuwabara, "Do you sense anything out of the ordinary?"

He sighed sadly, "Nothing…but hey, didn't she say that she lived near school or something?" he asked, "I mean, shouldn't we check there first?"

"Maybe…" she thought aloud, "That would make the most sense, wouldn't it?"

Kazuma nodded, "That's where I would check first—."

Suddenly, a scream raced through the air; echoing against the buildings and trees nearby. Shortly thereafter, a rather larger amount of energy could be sensed as it seemed to alert them like a neon sign in the night.

"Or not…" Kuwabara finished quietly.

:-

Mai's PoV

At last my senses came back to me and I quickly stumbled into the darkness. But the demon pursued like a filthy blood hound and raced after me.

_What the hell? Why won't these freaks leave me alone!_

I could hear him crashing through the trees and leaping over any obstacles in his way. It took all that I had just to stand on my feet. I could sense him growing closer even without the demon's energy alerting me, but it didn't matter how I sensed him, I just needed to run as if the devil was biting at my heels.

_There aren't even supposed to be such things as demons! They never were real! I was only imagining them when I was little!_

But then, I suddenly felt his hand latch onto my wrist. I felt a sudden surge of pain course through my veins and I cried out. But as he held on, a sudden memory flashed across my mind.

'_Bastard! You did this to him; you killed him! I'll kill you for this!'—_

'_Make them go away, Shi-Shi!' a little girl wept as she crouched behind a taller male, 'Please don't let them get to me again!'_

_He turned around and grinned gently towards her, 'Don't worry, Mai…I won't let anything happen to you…'_

I ripped my arm away from his grasp and dashed away as he thundered after me. But he soon caught up and tackled me to the ground. I screamed as he pinned me to the damp earth, and I tried to cry out again, but he quickly covered my mouth with his other hand.

"So we meet again, Kira," the demon hissed.

My eyes narrowed in confusion…Kira? ...but wasn't that the name of the girl in my dream? Why the hell would he call me that!

He removed his hand from my mouth and used it to pin down my shoulder as his other palm was shoved close to my face. I gasped as I noticed a bright red orb shining in the pit of his hand. Oh, gods, what was this! Another sick joke!

But in the back of my mind a vision of the crimson-haired girl resurfaced. She held her golden staff out towards me and was trying to speak…

'_It's time…'_

And as if something suddenly clicked inside of me, I forced my palms into the demon's gut as a sudden wave of heat swept over me; pulsing through every inch of my body.

The demon cried out in pain and leapt off of me. I quickly scrambled to my feet and stared down at my hands in shock.

_What the hell was that!_

I heard steam hissing nearby, and as I glanced around, I realized it was me…every time a raindrop fell on my skin, a wisp of steam rose into the night sky. And surrounding me was a dim pink mist that seemed to pulse from the very beating of my heart.

The demon glared at me as he clenched his fists in fury. But he did not appear to be harmed at the least…only really pissed.

"Damn you, Kira…" he growled.

"I'm not Kira!" I cried angrily and clenched my fists as well, "I don't know who the hell you are, but I'm not Kira or whoever you think I am!"

He chuckled darkly, "You cannot hide from me…"

Before I could retort, the demon shed his trench-coat and let it fall to the ground. I gasped and retreated slightly from his repulsive figure. Several horns protruded from his chest and tentacles slithered around his body. Tattoos were painted along his flesh and seemed to move with life with every motion of his body. Ravenous black hair swept over his back and swayed eerily in the rain.

"Who the hell are you!" I cried and backed away.

The demon laughed at my fear, "Don't you remember?" he sneered.

As quick as lightning, one of his tentacles lashed out at me. I screamed as the steel-like arm slashed across my abdomen and I felt my warm blood soaking my blouse. I coughed and clutched my stomach protectively as the red liquid oozed between my fingertips.

Sweat perspired off my brow as I struggled to stand. But the demon merely laughed at my suffering.

"I thought you were stronger than this…" he mocked, "But I guess you've lost your touch…"

I gasped for breath, "Who…who are you?" I demanded again weakly.

But he only smirked and recoiled one of his tentacles; making ready to strike again. I could only watch in terror as the arm suddenly struck out towards me. I clenched my eyes shut and waited for the pain and blood to come…

Only…Only it never came.

There was the sound of clashing weapons and I dared to open my eyes slightly.

A boy stood before me; his arms outstretched protectively and what appeared to be a long vine in one of his hands. His red hair fell just below his shoulders and he wore a white haori (A/N: does anyone know what that's called, just out of curiosity? The thing that Kurama wears in the 2nd season?)

I gasped softly when I recognized the boy from a few days ago, "Suichi?"

He turned slightly and gave me a small grin before tightening his grip on the vine in his hand.

_Oh great…_now _what was going on? Why in the world was Suichi here!_

The red-head stepped forward towards the demon and brandished the whip—or whatever it was—before the beast. I clutched my stomach and swayed on my feet slightly before I gently fell to my knees with fatigue.

But before Suichi made another move, there was a sudden blast of wind next to me. I blinked slightly as water splashed in my eyes, and when I looked up again, I frowned when I caught sight of a second boy standing next to the first.

This newcomer was nearly two heads shorter than Suichi thanks to his midnight black hair that stood straight on end. A white starburst was in the middle of his hair and a white bandana covered his forehead. He wore a black coat and boots with a white scarf around his neck and he kept his hands in his pockets. A sword and black sheath was tied loosely to his waist.

"Were you going to start the fight without me, Kurama?" the boy asked casually as if it was nothing more than a daily chore.

_Kurama?_

Suichi shook his head and grinned, "No, Hiei, you're just in time…Would you care to do the honors?" he asked gesturing towards the demon.

He smirked and flicked his sword out of the sheath with his thumb, "It would be my pleasure…"

And before I could blink the boy named Hiei disappeared from sight only to reappear in front of the demon; his sword fully drawn. But the demon jumped away before he had time to bring down his sword. The boy however was not ready to give up so easily and followed after.

I watched in awe as Hiei zipped in and out of sight and reappeared fighting with the demon…But the beast continued to lash out with his tentacles as the boy struck out with his sword.

Suichi then took up his whip and raced after the demon to help his friend. It took me a moment before I realized that they were trying to lead him away from me.

Gods, _now _I was confused.

"Kurama! Hiei!"

I turned suddenly as the voice rang through the night air. It was Yusuke, Kuwabara and Botan…

_Oh crap_.

The trio stopped suddenly when they caught sight of me. And all I wanted to do was curl into a ball and disappear. But then again, I was probably about ready to bleed myself out of consciousness…

Botan was the first to reach me and carefully observed my wound. The two boys stood behind her; Kuwabara looked almost as if he was about to puke when he noticed the blood around me.

"You've gotten a pretty nasty cut there don't you?" she asked trying to sound cheerful, but failing horribly.

I didn't answer, but grunted as I tried to get to my feet. Botan was ready to protest by I ignored her and staggered as I stood. I could feel the blood from my wound slowly trickling down my stomach and over my skirt.

With much difficulty, I stumbled forward towards the demon; one hand still clutching my stomach.

"Mai! You shouldn't move with a wound like that!" the girl protested as I continued to travel towards the battle.

I couldn't get the crimson-haired girl out of my head. Why was that? Why did I keep seeing her! She was only a figment of my imagination, nothing more…

Right?

Flashes of the dream I had earlier poured through my mind as I grew closer to the beast and the two boys fighting him. I felt a tug on my heart every time I remembered the girl…Kira…

The demon was closer now and I began to slow down slightly. I forced myself to stand up straight as I confronted him.

I clenched my teeth, "Who are you…?"

The battle came to a sudden halt and I felt all eyes on me, but I didn't care. I gave the demon a dangerous glare and waited for him to answer.

But he only laughed in amusement, "I would think that you'd remember!" he smirked, "But obviously your memory does not serve you…

"I am Ryu! And this time, Kira…you will permanently perish beneath my power!"

:-

A/N: sorry that I had to cut that so short, guys, but these chapters always seem to take way to long to write, so I apologize. (oh, and gomen guys about this being a pretty fast chapter—it will all make sense in the next chappie!)

I'll try and update soon!

Ja'ne


	6. Awakening Part 1

DISCLAIMER: see chapters 1-4

A/N:

This chapter might be a little short only because I had my frickin writer's block when I was writing this…So please don't be mad at me!

_Thoughts_

_Fire Dancer_

: Awakening Part 1:

I felt something click inside of me when I heard his name spoken aloud. As if the very word sent a wave of fury through me. But neither of them were real, were they? Kira and Ryu were just characters in my dream, right?

'_Shi-san…what does this say?' the little girl pointed to the heading of a worn page of an aged tome. The boy behind her leaned over her shoulder and smiled._

'_It says Spirit Guardian…why do you ask?'_

_She shrugged, 'I thought the picture was pretty,' she answered innocently, but returned her attention to the book and frowned, 'What's a Spirit Guardian, then?'_

'_It's someone who's duty it is to protect people like me, Mai; you know Spirit Detectives and people like that; they stay with their charge for life; sort of like an eternal bond…' he replied with a tender smile._

_The girl thought for a moment before grinning and jumping to her feet, 'I know then! I'll be your Spirit Guardian, Shi-Shi! Then we can be together forever!'_

_His eyes softened and he laughed softly, 'That would be great, Mai…'_

Ryu chuckled darkly, "You look surprised to see me, Kira…"

"My name is not Kira!" I roared angrily and tightened my fists. Steam hissed around me as I felt my anger blaze within me. The others stared at me in awe and seemed to back away from my presence…The pink mist around my body grew steadily larger.

'_You did this to him…!'_

Kira…

I clenched my teeth angrily. This was some seriously sick joke someone was trying to pull on me…and I didn't like it. Kira and Ryu seemed all too real at the moment, and it was starting to scare me—but they weren't real, were they? They had only been a part of my dream…

Something stirred within me; as if something that had been hidden away was longing to break free…something I hadn't felt for a long time…

'_You did this to my friend! I'll kill you for this!'_

My heart thumped in my chest and through my veins. Anger swelled within me. Gods, what had happened then? Why the hell did he want me!

…Or was he after Kira?

"Why are you here?" I muttered dangerously, but winced when I tried to move forward.

He smirked as if he had been waited for me to ask, "To fill this hunger that has been building within me…" he drawled darkly as one of his tentacles boldly stretched across the field and stroked my cheek. I quickly backed away from his touch and glared back venomously. A sneer curled at his lips, "I came to fill the hunger for your blood!"

Without warning, I felt a sharp, agonizing pain race through my abdomen. A writhing movement twisted through my stomach. I stared down in horror as one of Ryu's tentacles wriggled within my flesh. I suddenly felt as though I couldn't breathe and I choked; coughing up a splatter of blood on the ground.

I fell to my knees as the demon ripped the tendril from my abdomen. Blood oozed from my wound and fell onto the moistened earth.

_Oh gods, _I thought as I continued to hang on to the very threads of life, _I'm going to die…I'm really going to die…_

"Mai!"

Someone called my name, but I couldn't reply…I sensed life slipping away from me very slowly as I crumpled on the ground…

Until I finally lost my hold…and fell into darkness…

:-

Everyone could only stand in silent shock as the girl fell to the earth.

And as if time itself was standing still, no one seemed to stir as a silent crimson pool formed around her body. Her eyes stared off into empty space and were glazed over with death.

"What…What just happened?" Kuwabara asked in a shock-filled whisper.

No on answered him, that is, until Yusuke stepped forward angrily, "Dammit, I don't have time for this! Botan, get her away from here the second you can."

The blue-haired girl nodded slowly as the Spirit Detective advanced on the demon.

"This bastard needs to die."

:-

The placid sound of trickling water entered my ears and I felt grass gently prickling my cheek. Birds could be heard off in the distance as well as the soft signing of someone nearby.

I blinked my eyes opened quickly and leapt to my knees just as swiftly.

Sunlight danced through the leaves of the oak above me. I had been lying beneath the tree it seemed…but why? I should have been dead…was this heaven or something?

My eyes quickly darted to my abdomen, but no trace of the wound or blood could be found. I lifted up the hem of my blouse and carefully prodded my stomach as if the flesh would collapse to reveal the spot where Ryu had impaled me with his tentacle.

_What the hell is this?_

I stood slowly and felt the gentle blades of grass between my toes. A stream trickled merrily and ran further on, to where, though, I did not know.

Cautiously, I approached it and stood on its bank. But then a soft tune hummed along the babbling water caught my attention. Curiosity overcame me and I followed the stream towards the sound.

After awhile, I came across a single red-haired woman sitting on the other side of the stream. She wore a pink and crimson kimono and embedded along her forehead were three teardrop-shaped jewels in the shape of a small triangle.

She sang softly to herself and stirred the water gently with her index finger.

I stared in silent away at her and stood directly across from the girl.

"Kira…" I murmured.

The woman stopped her song and cocked her head up towards me, a kind smile on her face, "Hey! You finally came!"

I frowned slightly, "Am I dead?" I asked and glanced around, "Where am I?"

Kira laughed softly, "No you're not dead—not yet at least…" she pointed to the sun with a delicate finger, "But When the sun disappears behind the horizon, your soul will pass on for good…"

"I don't understand, though…" I whispered and carefully sat along the edge of the stream, "I should be dead…Ryu—!"

Her smile faded and she stared solemnly into the water, "Yes Ryu…I had no idea he would be able to resurrect himself after…" she trailed off with a sigh, "I never intended for you to get hurt, Mai…"

"What are you talking about?" I inquired, suddenly becoming annoyed that I had to ask so many questions, "Why are you here? Wherever here is…."

The girl sighed again, "Your body has not completely let go of your soul, Mai…So I was able to call you here…Where I've been waiting for you to come for awhile now," she smiled and giggled softly, "You're kind of hard to track down, aren't you?"

"You called me here? How?" I asked.

She grinned sadly, "I thought I would get your mind a little wondering when you had that dream," she laughed gently, "I hope I didn't scare you too much…"

I didn't answer her. My mind raced back to my dream where Kira and the boy Sunichi had been fighting the demon…it had only been a dream, though, nothing more…

But she was here now, could she have been real?…but then again I was moments from death and probably only remembering her from my dream…

Gods, this was so confusing!

"Who are you?" I finally asked darkly, the seriousness of the situation becoming all too real, "I want to know everything, especially why you've been trying to reach me…"

Kira stared at me for a moment, realizing my grave demand, "Do you want to know everything?"

I nodded forcefully and unyieldingly, "Everything."

:-

Sorry I had to cut this short, but my damn writer's block wont' get out of my head!

WRITER'S BLOCK: but it's so nice and comfy in here!

KITKAT: NO! Get out of my head, dammit!

LoL, anywhos…

I'll try and update soon!

Ciao!


	7. Awakening Part 2

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any YYH stuff

A/N:

Enjoy!

/Yoko Kurama/

_Thoughts_

_Fire Dancer_

: Awakening Part 2:

"Oh crap oh crap oh crap oh crap," Botan muttered as she and Kurama carried Mai's body away from the battle. Droplets of blood plummeted to the earth from the girl's wound. Her skin had paled considerably and her flesh had gone ice cold.

"Over here," Kurama motioned towards a safer area.

Quickly, the pair set the body next to a nearby tree where Suichi immediately knelt beside her and placed his ear upon her chest gently.

"She still has a faint heartbeat…" he murmured with a little bit of excitement. He swiftly ripped the hem of his shirt into strips and wrapped them around her bloody abdomen. Botan waited patiently beside him as he worked quickly and silently.

"Should we take her to the Spirit Realm?" she asked worriedly, "Maybe from there we can take her to Genkai…"

Kurama shook his head, "If we keep moving her around, her wound will continue to reopen and she'll bleed to death…" he said as he observed the bloody area, "You can travel through the worlds easier than I can, you'll probably be able to reach Genkai quicker."

The blue-haired girl nodded, "Right."

And immediately, there was a small _pop_ and she was gone. Suichi continued to kneel next to the girl; making sure that she hadn't slipped away quite yet.

"Hang in there Mai…"

:-

The crimson-haired girl sighed heavily and stared into the water, "My name is Kira," she started, "And I'm sure Genkai has told you about demons and apparitions…and I am what they call a Fire Apparition; a demon with fire abilities…"

"You don't look like a demon," I stated quietly.

She smiled kindly, "Well thank you…but I am an apparition nonetheless…" she sighed once more, "but when I was young, I came across a boy by the name of Sunichi.

"He was a Spirit Detective and I became his Spirit Guardian," a sad grin came to her lips at the distant memory, "We were permanently attached to one another as friends…and there wasn't a battle where we weren't fighting side by side…"

A frown now arched along her mouth, "But there came a time when Sunichi was deceived," she murmured, "His heart turned against reason…and against me. He disappeared and even I was unable to find him again…But I searched and searched until I finally believed that I had given up hope.

"I was down to my last thread of faith in searching for him and I was in the final destination of my hunt. But that was when I stumbled into Ryu…the dragon demon…

"He taunted me; dragging me into battle…and so we fought. I was soon down to my last ounce of strength before he gripped me by the color and snarled into my face that it was he that turned Sunichi against me," An angry tear filled her eye, "Ryu raised his hand for the final blow, but the attack was prevented when a sudden blast filled the air.

"When the smoke cleared, Sunichi stood upon a hilltop; his attack aimed for Ryu. I'm not sure what had happened to change his heart, but he had returned to me…"

Kira paused for a moment, "You saw the rest, Mai…"

I frowned slightly and watched her carefully, "But there's more."

It wasn't a question, and the apparition knew that. She sighed and nodded slowly.

"Yes, there's more…"

:-

"Dammit! Why won't this bastard die!" Yusuke roared angrily. Kurama and Botan had left to take care of Mai, leaving the Spirit Detective, Kuwabara, and Hiei to fend off the demon.

Ryu laughed darkly, "I should have known I'd find a Spirit Detective tagging along with the Guardian…" he snarled.

Yusuke clenched his fists with fury, "I'm not tagging along with her!"

"Hey, Urameshi," Kuwabara approached him slowly, having only acquired a few bruises, "We need to hurry and get this over with; Mai's probably in serious trouble with her injuries…"

"Wow, the monkey has a brain," Hiei muttered as he joined the duo, "She was just impaled in the stomach, baka, I'm sure she's having a great time," he added sarcastically.

Kazuma puffed out his cheeks angrily and crossed his arms.

But back with Kurama and Mai, the girl was slowly starting to slip away. But Botan still hadn't returned with Genkai.

"Where could they be?" Suichi thought to himself aloud.

And no sooner had he said this, there was a second _pop_ and the blue-haired girl reappeared before him along with the older woman.

"I let the dimwit go on a simple task and the girl nearly bleeds herself to death," Genkai muttered in annoyance.

"So can you help her?" Botan asked quickly.

The woman snorted in amusement, "Of course I can."

:-

"Moments before my body was entirely spent, I was able to separate my soul from my body," Kira continued, "I was able to travel to the Spirit World as my physical form was used to its final ounces of strength. There, my soul lingered. For neither was I alive, nor completely dead…so I waited…

"Eventually, though, as I watched from beyond, my spirit slowly began to fade away; if I did not move on or find another body to reside in, I would cease to exist at all.

"But I was not ready to move on; I felt a certain tie to the living world…a tie that I could not break. So I found myself haunting the world I once resided in. It was there, though that I came across a pregnant woman ready to bear a child.

"Something drew me towards the unborn baby, not to mention the fact that I was desperate for a new form lest I disappeared forever. But before I knew it, I found myself within the child, but I hid myself, not knowing that the child I resided in would become a Guardian like I had once been…" Kira stared down at her hands as a weak smile played at her lips and a mischievous twinkle shimmered in her eyes, "I had no other choice after all…besides, it had been done before; I decided to take my chances

The former guardian finished sadly and glanced across the stream towards me; as if waiting for my reaction.

"You mean to say…that your soul lives in me now?" I whispered in slight disbelief. But by now, I was ready to believe almost anything, "I have a second person in the back of my mind, or something?"

She smiled weakly, "If you want to think about it like that," she replied calmly, "I prefer to think about it sort of like a reincarnation of some sort…I mean, I think I might have accidentally passed on a few physical traits to you, don't you think?" she added with a faintly wider grin.

I nodded slowly and stared down into the water, "Why did you tell me all of this if I was going to die?" I questioned.

The girl merely lowered her eyes, "Mostly because I wanted you to understand these changes…" she bit her lip tenderly, "…And why Ryu was after you—."

"He called me Kira," I cut in briefly, "Did he mistake me for you, then?"

She nodded, "I guess those traits and traces of my Spirit Energy were still sensed in you…and when Ryu came seeking revenge, he found you instead of me."

I concurred absently with the tilt of my head, but didn't reply. Was I finally beginning to understand the concept of these demons and 'Spirit' people? Was it really so easy? Then again, I had seen nearly everything I didn't believe in just a matter of hours…what else was I supposed to think?

But suddenly, as I was wondering on this, I noticed the shifting of my shadow. I quickly switched my attention to it and realized that it was suddenly going the wrong way.

Kira must have noticed it as well for she peered up into the sky and watched as the sun swiftly began to back up towards the opposite horizon.

She laughed softly, "So I guess you're not going to die after all…"

"What do you mean?" I questioned, "Why aren't I dying anymore?"

The crimson-haired girl grinned, "I'm assuming one of your newfound friends are trying to heal you…So I'm guessing that your physical self is starting to call back your soul."

I turned quickly towards her, "But what about you? What about Ryu?" I asked quickly and with worry.

She smiled sadly, "I'll be fine here; I'll always be here if you need me…But about Ryu…he will most likely try to destroy you, but once again, I will always be with you if you ever need me…"

I felt a sudden tugging at my heart and felt myself slipping away from this place. Kira stood and I followed her lead.

"It won't be easy to defeat him," the guardian murmured and stared down into the water before averting her gaze back to the dancer, "Do you trust me, Mai?" she asked softly.

I stood for a moment, thinking, before I answered…

:-

"She's starting to come to!" Botan said excitedly as Genkai's palms issued a soft blue glow over the girl's lifeless body.

Mai stirred slightly after awhile and soon after blinked open her eyes. The girl looked around slowly and calmly, as if she had been expecting to be resurrected from her death-like state. The trio watched her silently as she carefully sat up against the tree trunk.

"Where's Ryu?" she asked as if it were a demand.

But Botan would have none of it, "Oh no you don't! You let the others take care of him this time, lest you nearly kill yourself again!"

The dancer, however, was not listening and lifted herself slowly from the ground. Her feet dragged her towards the battle area where the three boys continued to fight.

Gods, she sure hoped this worked.

She limped out into the open as the pain in her abdomen raced through her nerves. Her vision blurred slightly, but she continued on until she was almost too close to the demon.

Weakly, she raised her arm towards him, her index finger extended and her thumb erect. And from the tip of her finger a small pink orb sparked as flames danced across her hand

Ryu turned to her, then, a single smirk etched across his face, "Ah, so the Guardian has returned from the dead!"

But the girl didn't reply. Anger flashed across her eyes as she aimed her hand towards the demon. She could almost feel Kira beside her; guiding her hand steadily.

The pink orb grew considerably and a sense of fear crossed over Ryu's face. The words seemed to roll off her tongue as her energy was released.

"SPIRIT GUN!" she roared.

A bright pink ray enveloped in flames, raced across the ground towards the demon. The attack made contact almost immediately and Ryu's cry of terror echoed above the trees. The earth rumbled dangerously as the demon slowly disintegrated from the blast.

Mai panted heavily before collapsing to the ground…

Her world going black once more.

:-

A/N: once again, I apologize for the crappiness of these chapters…

But that's okay! (…I guess…)


	8. Of Acorns and Anger

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any YYH stuff, sorry….

A/N: This chapter has my favorite line in it (and a bunch of my friends think it's funny too). I'll give anyone a cookie if they can figure out what it is

_Thoughts_

_Fire Dancer_

:Of Acorns and Anger:

-

"You'd think she'd be able to withstand one Spirit Gun, wouldn't you?" Yusuke asked as he propped his legs up on the kitchen table, but Botan quickly knocked them off with the swipe of her hand. Kuwabara snickered, but faltered when the Detective shot him a dangerous look.

"Her energy has been out of whack," she explained as she separated the two, "Besides the fact that she nearly died moments after she fired her attack…"

"Yes," Kurama cut in gently, "But what I want to know is how she knew to fire her Spirit Gun in the first place…none of us told her how to use it, right?"

The small group nodded along with Hiei's 'hn'. They frowned, however, when no one confessed to telling her about the Spirit Gun technique…

Then how did she know?

Back in the bedroom, Mai winced as Genkai tightened the bandages around her abdomen.

"Damn, that hurts!" she hissed when the woman had finished. The dancer quickly grabbed her blouse and slipped it over her head, frowning, though when she caught sight of the bloodied tear in the middle, "Well that's never coming out," she concluded sadly.

"You're lucky none of your major organs were pierced," Genkai told her as she packed up her first-aid supplies, "You wouldn't have been able to get out of bed for awhile…"

Mai nodded slowly and carefully planted her feet on the ground. She stared at the floor for awhile in a thoughtful silence, "…What's going to happen to me now?"

The woman studied her for a moment, "Your powers are beginning to surface, and they're growing rapidly…if you wish it, you may stay here and learn how to control them…"

Her face lit up slightly, "Would you do that?" she asked softly, but then looked away at the ground, "…Would you let me stay here?"

Genkai nodded, a half-hearted smile on her face, "Of course…but I'm afraid you'll have to train with the dimwit as well," she said and gestured towards the kitchen.

The dancer grinned feebly, but it soon turned into a slight frown, "…he didn't seem to have been too excited with having me here…I didn't do anything to make him mad, did I?" She asked timidly.

The woman shook her head, "He lives on hot air, let's just leave it at that."

She watched her for a moment longer before standing, her face burning red with a nervous blush, "So…I can stay?"

Genkai nodded once more, "I said yes, didn't I?"

Mai smiled weakly; her heart already settling in.

:-

Genkai and Mai returned to the kitchen a few minutes later to be greeted by the others. Botan—being her chipper self—was the first to extend her hand in a proper introduction. She was soon followed by Kuwabara, who nearly shoved the girl out of the way to grasp her hand. But Botan returned quickly and dragged the red-head away by the ear.

The dancer smiled kindly at the boy's awkwardness and her eyes fell on the second red-head standing against the wall.

He stepped forward and gave a brief bow before extending his hand also, "Sorry about all the confusion, Mai, but to set things finally straight, my name is Kurama," he said with the very same smile he had given her a few days back. He gestured then towards the shorter boy standing in a corner, "And my dark and quiet counterpart here, is Hiei."

Mai smiled gently, "Hello Hiei."

The boy crossed his arms, "Hn,"

Yusuke folded him arms and leaned back in his chair. The dancer lowered her eyes from his angry glare. What did he have against her?

She held out her hand awkwardly, "Um…"

He snorted and turned his head way, "Fuck off."

Mai tensed at his words. Yusuke didn't seem to notice her hurt and said nothing. The others stood in a nervous silence, until Botan stepped forward laughing nervously and trying to break the tension.

"Well then…Why don't we all just settle down for a little pot of tea, hm?" she said a little too over-enthusiastically.

The others agreed, but it was the dancer and the Detective who didn't reply. Mai just couldn't help wondering what he had against her…why he seemed so angry at her all the time…

She watched him discreetly out of the corner of her eye as she and the others sat around the table. But Urameshi seemed uninterested and stared out the window…but the girl just couldn't feel like he hated every bit of her…

:-

The dancer sat alone in the spare bedroom atop of the bed, legs crossed Indian-style. She rested her face in the palms of her hands as she glanced solemnly out the window. The fading sunlight danced along the floor in front of her.

Kurama and Hiei had left for the evening, and Botan had gone to the supermarket leaving her with the two boys and Genkai. She could even hear them through the paper thin walls, especially Yusuke and Kuwabara talking in the living room. The dancer sighed. What did Urameshi have against her?

She breathed in heavily and rose from the bed. The girl stopped just before the door, however, when she heard Yusuke's angry conversation with the red-head.

"…I tell you, I'm not going to have some Spirit Guardian breathing down my neck!" The Spirit Detective grumbled.

"Urameshi, she's just trying to help—"

"I don't need her help!" the boy snapped, "She's just a stumbling black for me! She doesn't know shit about the Spirit World and demons, how helpful do you think she can be!"

Mai bit her lip tenderly. Was this what he thought of her? That she was just a burden?

"All I wanted was a home," she whispered to herself as she leaned up against the doorframe. She glanced towards the door as if expecting to see through it and at the two boys, "…Somewhere that I would belong…"

"She can go back to that rat-hole bookstore of hers…just not here…" Yusuke muttered darkly.

Angry tears welled up in the dancer's eyes and she clenched her fists angrily. The conversation continued in the other room, but she didn't listen to the rest. Her hand latched onto the handle quickly and flung open the door; passing through the living room without giving the pair enough time to stop their argument.

She didn't head for the front door, however, but changed her direction towards the back of the house.

Kuwabara and Yusuke sat in an unusual silence as the back door slammed shut.

"I think she heard you, Urameshi," Kazuma muttered.

:-

Yusuke grumbled angrily to himself as he trudged up the hill behind the house. He didn't understand why _he_ had to go looking for her…it's not like it was his fault that she decided to eaves drop on them…

But then again, was he right in saying those things?

He snorted at his own question; of course he was; he meant every word of it…

Didn't he?

"Damn guilt," he muttered as he continued up the hill. He stopped for a moment, though, and looked around the area. It felt odd that only a few months ago he had been here fighting Rando and all those other punks for Genkai's powers…

But it all seemed like a distant memory now.

Urameshi sighed as he made hit to the top of the slope. The marsh-like landscape opened up before him as trees lined the border. Small, muddy ponds dotted the swampy area as well as several dead trees.

As the Spirit Detective glanced around the once-battlefield, he caught sight of Mai centered in the middle. He watched as she spun between the ponds, her arms twirled around her elegantly.

Was she dancing even all the way out here?

Yusuke watched almost entranced as the girl moved nimbly over the marshy terrain. Her skirt flowed hypnotically whenever she lifted her legs in a pirouette. She seemed oblivious to the world; as if she could only see her steps and hear the sweet dance music.

Mai's creamy orange hair whirled around her face as her feet crossed in front of one another. She seemed to meld her very body into the imaginary music.

Urameshi shook his head, releasing himself of the spell, and shoved his hands into his pockets. The boy cautiously made his way across the clearing towards her, but she still didn't seem to notice him even as he grew closer.

"Why the hell are you dancing out here?" he grunted while trying not to sound interested.

But she continued to spin, never slowing down, "It helps clear my mind—if you must know," she replied shortly as if hoping that her answer would make him go away.

But neither of them spoke for a moment as Mai finished up her dance; ending in an elegant pose. She sighed softly as she straightened her blouse and brushed her hair out of her face.

The girl watched the Detective closely, "Why are you here, Yusuke?" she demanded.

He went rigid at the question briefly before looking away towards the ground. He mumbled something incoherent, but didn't speak up.

Mai planted her feet in the ground, "Did you come to apologize?"

Urameshi stared at her; suddenly taken aback by her demanding tone. He frowned, though. What gave her the right to talk to him like that!

He snorted as if it was amusing, "Hell no, they forced me to come and make amends with you," he rolled his eyes, "Yeah, whatever…Let's just 'be friends' so we can go back inside…"

The Guardian sent him an icy glare before storming off across the marsh-land. Yusuke quickly followed after her as she tried to put as much distance as possible between them, but unfortunately failed.

"Hey!" the boy grabbed her arm before she got too far, "What the hell is wrong with you—!"

She ripped her limb away furiously, "Don't touch me, Urameshi!" she ordered, "And don't you _dare_ toy with my emotions…I don't need your shit, and if you don't want me here, then I'll leave and go back to my rat-hole!" she snapped, "At least there I can call it 'home'!"

"You were never wanted here anyway!" he retorted, "I don't need a babysitter following me around constantly!"

"Who said that I ever _wanted_ to be here!" she demanded, "Besides! If I was never wanted, why did you decide to help me against Ryu!"

Yusuke snorted again, "I don't have any tolerance for demons; that bastard was no different…" he insisted, "…and if you couldn't hold your ground back there, you probably deserved to die!"

But then he knew that he had gone too far. Angry tears filled her azure eyes and she clenched her fists at her side.

"Is that so?" she whispered, "I should have known…I was never wanted…"

_His world was always black and white; demons were the enemy, and humans were the ones He was trying to protect…_

Urameshi's brow furrowed, "What the hell are you talking about?"

Her angry blue orbs shot him a dirty look, "Why should you care!" she snapped, "I don't need to tell you anything! So just butt out of my life!"

_Whoa, hormones_...the Detective thought after a moment, "Well aren't I supposed to know if you're going to be my Guardian?"

Mai studied him carefully, her anger easing slightly, "Do you mean it?" she asked softly.

He laughed hollowly, "No—!"

The blow came so quickly that the air was nearly knocked out of him. A bright red welt burned along his cheek from where the girl had slapped him. Teardrops slid down her cheeks and plummeted to the ground from her chin.

Her Reiki level flared angrily as she took a shuddering, angry breath. "I said don't toy with my emotions, Urameshi…" she said darkly.

Yusuke stood in a silent shock as he fingered the sore along his cheek delicately. Damn, she was serious…

There was the sound of rustling leaves and he looked up just in time to see Mai disappear into the boughs of a nearby tree.

"Hey!" he shouted, "I'm not done talking to you!"

"Well I'm sure as hell done talking to you!" she roared back.

The Spirit Detective strode over to the base of the tree and stared up the trunk. She sat about fifteen or twenty feet up in the tree limbs, her legs hanging over the branches.

"Come down here!" he ordered.

"No!" she barked and crossed her arms defiantly, "Gods, you're such a bastard, Yusuke!"

He was about to reply furiously when a sharp pain raced thorough his skull as a small something struck him on the head (A/N: though, I'm not quite sure how he can feel it with all that gel and hair…). He rubbed his scalp tenderly before jerking his attention back to the dancer, "What the hell was that!" he roared.

"It was an acorn, dumbass!" she retorted angrily and threw him a dirty look. The Detective scowled furiously and folded him arms.

"Don't make me come up there!" he warned and made a move to leap up onto one of the branches. But a sudden shower of acorns prevented him from doing so, "Ow! Ow! Dammit! Stop it!"

"Go away, Urameshi!" the girl barked and lifted herself several feet higher onto another branch. Yusuke scowled and muttered several dark profanities under his breath before jumping up onto the lowest limb. Mai watched him struggle up the tree in dry amusement. Several times the boy lost his hold and stumbled down the tree.

After a few minutes of this, the dancer sighed in frustration, "What the hell is wrong with you? Why won't you just leave me alone!"

"Because," he grunted and lifted himself higher up the trunk, "You're a stuck up bitch…"

Mai rolled her eyes and rested her back against the bark, folding her arms, _Yeah, that's a great reason…_She glared angrily through the leaves and listened as Urameshi clambered up the tree, _Let him come, though…_she through crossly and cracked her knuckles simultaneously, _I'll give him something to think about…_

She could hear him nearly directly below her now and rolled her head so she could see him. She cocked an eyebrow, though. You'd think for him, this wouldn't be that hard.

They were now about twenty five or thirty feet into the air, now but it didn't seem to bother her, m or the detective, seeing that he didn't even notice.

It took another minute or so before Yusuke raised himself to the branch beside her. He took a few seconds to rest before he swung his legs over the limb and glared at the Guardian angrily.

"Now tell me, what the hell is wrong with you!" he demanded furiously, "Why are you so pissed off at me?"

The girl gaped at him, "Don't flatter yourself, Urameshi—this hardly has anything to do with you!"

"Then what's it all about!"

Mai crossed her arms and turned her head away with frustration, "It's none of your business…" she muttered darkly.

Yusuke growled angrily; _now _he was getting annoyed. First, she seemed angry that he didn't care, and now she was mad when he wanted to know!

"Fine, whatever!" he sighed and started to descend once more down the tree.

And he was almost out of her sight, before she sighed and stared glumly down at her hands. "Do you really want to know, Yusuke…?" she asked quietly before he was able to leave entirely.

The Spirit Detective froze slightly and glanced back up at her, "If it will get you to stop acting so pissed off…" he grumbled.

She sent him another glare, but it was definitely not nearly as severe as her others. The girl waited for him to reseat himself on the branch before studying him almost tearfully. Her hands wrung her skirt nervously.

"I never had a home," she whispered, "…No one seemed to want me…

"I…I don't know what happened. I never knew my parents…whether or not I had any siblings, even if I had a dog…" she stared distantly through the leaves, "I was always alone; for as long as I can remember there was no one."

"Oh great," the detective mumbled, "Another sap story—."

"Do you want to hear it or not!" she snapped; her patience thinning considerably, "Gods, you're such an asshole," she muttered as an add-on. She waited, though another moment before continuing.

"I was always alone…"

:-

A/N: sorry I had to cut this short, guys:

For one: This chapter is getting too long

But did anyone guess kitkat's favorite line? If you didn't, it was when Mai and Yusuke were yelling at one another:

"It's an acorn, dumbass!"


	9. Pride and Prejudice

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the yyh, stuff…though I did see this really adorable Yusuke pin in a store the other day!

A/N: This chapter might be a little short and crappy, cuz I didn't really have much of an idea for the first part, so it might only get somewhat interesting at the end, sorry…

See, even the author's notes of this chapter suck…I guess I'm just not very into it lately…

O well, please enjoy this chappie as much as you can, I'll try and improve it as I go along.

LOOK OUT FOR SOME FORSHADOWING FOR THE 'CHAPTER BLACK' SAGA! I'LL GIVE ANYONE ANOTHER COOKIE IF THEY CAN FIGURE IT OUT

_Thoughts_

_Fire Dancer_

:Alone:

Mai swung her legs carefully over the branch as Yusuke listened to her tale with—what seemed like—little interest. But a slight gleam in his eye showed that he was slightly fascinated with the story.

"It was like that for seven years…" she whispered as if it was all a bad memory, "But no one seemed to want me; no one was able to truly give me a home. But it didn't matter, really," she said with a somber smile.

She sighed and crossed her arms over her legs, her eyes staring distantly out through the trees, "It was hell then…but…but when I was around five—I think it was—I found someone like me; a loner without a purpose and searching the world to find one. He was my protector, you could say…"

Her eyes glazed over at the sudden memory and smiled sadly, "I do have to admit that I did find quite an attachment with him; a bit of a crush maybe…but he was nearly ten years older than me then, so it was only an innocent adoration between us…"

The girl suddenly tensed and tucked her knees up to her chin as tears welled up in her eyes and she turned to Yusuke, "He…He was also a Spirit Detective," she whispered and turned her head away abruptly, "But-but I was naïve then, I had no idea what was going on when he would fight those demons; all I could see was him protecting me," her voice grew so soft that she could hardly be heard, "All he could see was black an white: good and evil. The demons he fought were always the enemy and he was always defending the humans…" she blinked, "Maybe…maybe that was what caused his downfall," she murmured.

"I know I shouldn't have followed him that night; the night he went on that one mission, but I followed him anyway. It was only supposed to be a simple mission...like all the others...it would have been that easy too, if it hadn't been for what he found.

"His world of black and white now suddenly turned gray; now, the humans were the enemy; torturing and murdering the demons mercilessly—" a tear filled her eye, "It was too much for him…and it drove him mad," she shivered, "The look in his eyes—the confusion and pain—broke my heart…"

A teardrop plummeted to the ground far below them, "I'm not quite sure what happened…but the next minute I was running—oh gods, I was running. And I ran for what seemed like an eternity. No longer was my protector there for me; he was gone from my reach and wasn't there to defend me from my monsters. I remember everything was just a blur, as if none of it truly existed; as if the boy that had always been there for me had never been there at all. I collapsed finally at the footsteps of an old bookshop where I huddled until the gray morning light signaled a new day…

"The owner—Ms. Megumi—she found me the next day and brought me inside. She let me live in the spare bedroom as long as I would help out in the store…but I didn't care; as long as I was somewhere I could live in safety, I didn't care…"

Mai sighed and cautiously lifted her eyes to the Detective, "I've lived there for eight years, now…So I guess now you know why I've been so pissed off at you;" she laughed hollowly, "I've been hurt by the one person who cared for me all those years…And I don't want it to happen again…"

Yusuke watched her for a moment, the pity in his eyes glowing faint. He was about to reply, when his pride took hold of him once more.

"Keh, I could have watched something like that on a soap opera," he snorted and turned his head away.

Mai glared at the Detective dangerously, her anger mounting by the second. Tears could be seen shimmering in her azure eyes as she clenched her fists at her side.

And without warning, she swiftly shoved the boy off his perch and watched him fall to the earth.

He landed with a _thud_ and a groan.

"I should have never told you!"

Almost immediately, the dancer leapt from the branch and landed gracefully on the ground below. She quickly stormed off across the marshland. It took a few more moments for Yusuke to recover before he stumbled after her.

"Where are you going now!" he shouted at her.

The girl whirled on him and it seemed as if her eyes lit up with an imaginary flame, "Home," she growled.

The pair stormed into Genkai's house with a bang as the dancer thundered towards the front door. She ripped her coat from the wall and flew open the door and stomped outside furiously, closing the door with a slam.

After a moment, Kuwabara poked his head into the hallway and looked around warily.

"What was that?"

Yusuke snorted, "The crazy bitch…"

:-

Mai could not contain her anger as she stormed down the hillside. She could almost sense the woodland creatures scurrying away from her fury.

"Stupid, fucking bastard," she muttered darkly under her breath, "Damn him—Do you hear me!" she roared into the trees, "I hate you!"

The dancer growled furiously to herself as she shoved branches out of her way. She could hear the faint noises of the city nearby.

She was going home—for good.

"Should have known…" she whispered, "I should have known from the very start…"

The girl trudged down the path until she soon met up with the road. Cars buzzed dully down the street. She shoved her fists into her pockets and strode across the road without looking either way, but no cars got in her way.

As she entered the city, people bustled past her on their way through the town. School girls and their boyfriends chatted to their hearts' content above all the other voices. Children whined and tugged on the sleeves of their moms as they spotted the latest toy in the store window.

Mai moved passed them with ease and shuffled into the nearest store away from all the noises of the outside world.

_Figures_…she thought glumly.

She sighed and turned to face the shop she was in. A music store, obviously, with all of the racks of CD's and blaring music pounding from the speakers. The dancer smiled grimly and made her way towards a random stack of cases and thumbed through them. At least she could try and calm down…

The girl picked up a CD and scanned it carelessly, placing the earphones loosely against the side of her head. She slid to the ground wearily and leaned her head against the wall as the song hummed gently to her…

Mai slowly draped the headphones over her neck when the song ended and stared up at the florescent lighting above. _Well, so much for that…_she thought sadly and placed the headgear on its hook. She stood slowly and made her way back to the front of the store. The dancer pushed the CD onto the check-out counter and pulled out the money, sliding it towards the cashier.

She left the shop with her purchase in hand and made her way into the bustling sidewalk outside.

People pushed passed her without even an 'excuse me' or 'sorry' and shoved her out of their way. She stumbled after a final push and dropped the bag onto the concrete, but no one seemed to notice; they squeezed around her and continued on their way.

"Yeah, thanks," she grumbled sarcastically to no one as she dusted herself off and was about to grasp her bag, but someone grabbed it first, "Hey!"

But when she looked up, her eyes met those emerald green eyes of Kurama.

The red-head smiled gently and handed her the parcel, "You dropped this."

Mai blushed terribly and shakily took the bag from him, "Thanks," she mumbled as he held out his hand and helped her off her feet. She stood in an awkward silence and rubbed her arm gingerly.

Kurama merely smiled gently, "The others might be worried about you if you're off on your own…"

She stiffened at his question and turned her head away, "Uh…yeah, sure…"

He watched her carefully, though, when she said this, but before he could respond, the girl strode past him without another word. Kurama followed after her, though letting her keep her space.

"Mai…?"

The dancer continued forward, but didn't answer. The red-head carefully jogged after her so that he was level with her.

"Let me guess…it was Yusuke?" he prodded gently.

"He's such an asshole," she muttered as an answer, "I hate him…"

Kurama chuckled gently at the remark, but not unkindly. Mai glanced up at him curiously as he coughed to stifle his laugh. But the girl smiled weakly in return and stared down at the ground in embarrassment. Man, he had a great laugh…

She blushed again at thinking this and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. The pair continued to walk in silence for a few more moment before Kurama tried to start up a conversation.

"So…where are you running off to?" he asked lightly, while ignoring the longing stares from the gaping high-school girls.

The dancer puffed out her cheeks irritably, "I'm not running away, Kurama; I'm going home…"

He nodded slowly and placed his hands in his pockets casually, "Then, if that's the case, would you mind it if I walked you there?"

She slowed her pace considerably and cocked an eyebrow in his direction, her suspicion rising. The red-head turned to her, trying to figure out her confusion, before he laughed once more and shook his head.

"No, the others didn't send me to keep an eye you—if that's what you're thinking," he insisted.

Mai studied him carefully before sighing, "Fine, whatever…it's just around the corner, anyway…"

The duo walked in silence along the street as the fading rays of the day started to fade away. The dancer continued to blush, though, as several times she felt Kurama's hand brush against hers. She longed to pull it away, but found that she could not find the courage.

After a few more minutes, the two rounded the corner towards the old bookshop. The old scripted writing above the door was steadily peeling away. The windows remained in dire need of dusting and a few old tomes lay on cushions for show. A couple blacked-out windows signaled the second story and a concrete chimney crawled up the side of the shop.

The girl almost gratefully shot up the steps and placed her hand on the knob. But before she opened the door, she turned back to Kurama and smiled weakly.

"Thank you," she said with a small grin.

The red-head tilted his head towards her, "Goodnight, Mai," he replied and he was gone along the road. She watched him for a few more moments before she slowly turned the handle and stepped into the shop.

Bells tinkled above her as she stepped inside. An old-fashioned desk sat in the back of the shop with a small green lamp perched on top of it. A velvety-red armchair rested next to the dying fire and the strong smell of incense filled the room. Books lined every inch of the walls and even piled up onto the floor, which might have been a good thing, seeing that the old throw-rug was stained and less than attractive.

She sighed sadly and tossed her coat carelessly on the armchair and flipped the 'Open' sign so it said 'Closed'. She made her way towards the back door of the shop, which had been hidden by the precariously stacked volumes next to the desk.

Her feet dragged up the staircase in the back up to the second story. She reached the landing slowly and opened the door to the bedroom and flicked on the lights.

A single iron-wrought bed sat in a corner with a poor excuse for a canopy draped over it. A small desk and stool had been placed next to the window where a lamp hovered over them. Then, a boom-box rested beneath the desk, aged to the brink of the decade, but working nonetheless. Clothes had been shoved into the small space of closet she had while others had merely piled up in corners of the room.

Simultaneously, she slipped her torn blouse off and tossed it in a corner with all the other forgotten clothing. She pulled her pajama bottoms over her bruised legs and tugged her bright red tank-top over her head.

Mai popped her new CD from its case and slipped into the player. She sighed and plopped onto her bed gratefully. The sheets were less than spring breeze fresh, but it was heaven to her, to finally be back home.

Her eyes suddenly fell on a single picture on her nightstand. She stared at it emotionlessly for a while…the young male in it smiled kindly in the black and white photo as he ruffled the hair of a little, bright-eyed girl in front of him. But despite his smile, pain and sorrow could be seen in the depths of his eyes.

It almost despised her that she was still holding onto that distant dream…that distant dream that he would come back looking for her…

On instinct, she slammed the framed face down onto the table and rolled on her bed so her back faced the picture.

For how long she laid there, she was not sure, but it was finally dark before she jerked out of her daze.

The dancer looked around warily. The bells downstairs were chiming—at least it sounded like they were…

But the shop was closed. She had even changed the sign herself…Plus Ms. Megumi wouldn't be there at such an hour…unless she forgot something, that is.

She waited a few more moments, but the bells did not ring another time.

Cautiously, the girl lifted herself from her bed and cracked the door gently; listening to any peculiar noises coming from the shop…but there were none. So carefully, she placed a foot onto the first step, careful of the creaking wood.

Her feet padded gently against the plywood as she made it to the final landing at the bottom. Once more, the overpowering incense drifted through the room, causing the girl to grow slightly nauseous as she held on to the doorframe for support.

Mai looked around the shop warily for any sign of life. Nothing appeared to be touched, however, and the cashier was as she had left it almost three days ago. She was about to leave and go back upstairs when her eyes caught sight of the door…

The sign now faced the her saying 'Closed'

Curious, the Guardian returned and flipped the sign back over. Once more, she was ready to turn back upstairs, when she froze.

Somewhere someone behind her coughed…and the girl whirled in fear and horror as she turned to face the intruder…

She froze suddenly, and stared with a awe-filled fear at the figure before her…The woman she had imagined in her dreams so many times before and who now looked her straight in the eyes…

"Mom…" she murmured...

:-

A/N: MWAHAHAHAHAHA! I am the ruler of evil cliffies! FEAR ME INFIDELS!

LoL, sorry guys, but it's getting late and the chapter's getting long, but I hoped you enjoyed, cuz I probably wont' be able to update too often with school and all…plus volleyball is going for 2 and a half hours for the first two weeks :shudders:

O well…

See you guys soon!

Ciao!

PS: I do post a little preview for future chapters under my profile, you know….


	10. Mother Dearest

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any YYH stuff...even though I saw this adorable Yusuke pin!

A/N: Enjoy the next chapter! Oh, but just in case of some more flamers, some of the characters might seem a little OOC in this chappie, and I'm sorry, don't get mad at me!

_Thoughts_

_Fire Dancer_

:Mother Dearest:

"...Mom..."

There was no mistaking it: she was the very some from that dreams that had haunted her for so long; the same flowing hair and warm brown eyes. But Mai only stood in an awe-filled shock at the woman before her.

Why was she here?

The woman slowly approached the dancer and smiled nervously, "It's been a long time, hasn't it, Mai?" she asked softly.

But she only stood there in disbelief, "M-Mom?"

Her smile brightened slightly and she took a step forward, "Mai...Oh, gods, Mai I'm so sorry," she whispered as tears streamed down her cheeks, "I'm so sorry—!" and she quickly wrapped her arms around her daughter's neck and sobbed onto the girl's shoulder.

Mai stood frozen before she slowly returned the embrace as teardrops shimmered in her eyes.

"Mommy..."

:10:-

Yusuke let his legs hang over the porch as he watched the sun set behind the trees. He rested his elbows on his knees and fiddled with his wristband restlessly.

What the hell was wrong with him!

He growled angrily and pounded his fists to his head irritably, "Stupid, stupid, stupid!" he muttered to himself.

She had been through so much...and was even willing to confess it all in him and he had totally shoved it in her face! (A/N: yes I know he usually doesn't think practically at this point in the series...) What the hell happened to him? He had felt a little bit of compassion for her, but why in the world had he shot her down like that!

And as he was so intent on beating himself up (not literally), Kuwabara stepped outside from the house and joined him on the porch sitting cross-legged.

Urameshi sighed and stared at the ground in frustration, "Does Genkai need us to go looking for her?" he asked grimly.

The red-head shook his head, "Nah, it's just kind of odd that you're so upset with Mai running off again—I mean, last time you didn't seem to care at all."

Yusuke sighed again, "Because I wasn't such an asshole the last time she left..."

Kuwabara nodded slowly, but obviously realized that it was once again the Detective's fault (A/N: well duh! And once again, remember some of the characters are OOC, like Kazuma thinking for once! Le gasp!). But—for what seemed like the first time—Yusuke seemed ashamed of himself which didn't seem like him at all...

But before either of them could say anything else, Botan suddenly raced up the hillside in front of the house. She panted as she reached them and tried to regain her breath before she continued.

After a moment of her gasping, Yusuke raised an eyebrow, "...Yes?"

"Koenma...wants you guys...in the Spirit World..." she heaved.

Urameshi rolled his eyes irritably, "Oh, goody..."

:10:-

"Yo, Junior, what do you want?" Yusuke called through the room. Piles and stacks of papers lined the entire room. The toddler sat behind his desk with the letters 'Jr.' imprinted on his hat. A pacifier stuck out from the corner of his mouth as he smashed his stamp on the papers one by one.

And although he wasn't present yet, Kurama was sure to be somewhere nearby.

Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Botan quietly stepped into the room, a little bit confused. But Koenma continued to pound the stamp over and over again.

Botan coughed nervously, "Uh...Koenma, sir?"

The toddler paused calmly and set the stamp aside, folding his hands and watching the trio carefully.

But of course, his temper was quick to cut in.

"Thanks a lot, Urameshi, for letting your Guardian run off again!" he fumed as his pacifier waggled in his mouth, "Can't you swallow your pride for one damn second!"

The Detective backed off warily before putting his hands up in surrender, "Okay, okay! Gods, I'll go after her if that's what you want!" he retorted.

An artery pulsed in the child's temple, "The point is, Yusuke, that you don't have the control the keep your temper! Guardians are rare beings, and few Detectives like you are lucky to have one! And yet you continue to chase her away!"

The miniature ruler sighed heavily as his anger eased slightly, "The last Guardian that had been in league with a Spirit Detective was nearly fifty years ago..." he said slowly as he pressed a button on the desk and a screen unrolled behind the trio.

They turned as the 'slide-show' played and as Koenma spoke behind them.

"Shunichi was the Detective's name; a fairly bright boy, really..." the toddler spoke as pictures of the boy flashed onto the screen, "And like you, Yusuke, he came across his Guardian, Kira..."

Botan turned to her boss and frowned slightly, "Kira?" she thought aloud before she snapped her fingers, "Oh! So that's what her name was…I couldn't seem to remember for some reason…"

Koenma nodded solemnly, "She and Shunichi were nearly legends of their time, not to mention that they were hardly ever separated from one another..." Photos of the pair flashed upon the screen. Some had Kira dressed in a kimono while others had her in modern clothes...but either way, she was always holding a staff in her hand. The pictures either had them laughing with one another or just smiling for the camera.

"She looks kind of like Mai," Kazuma noticed.

"But what's all this have to do with why you called us here?" Yusuke asked almost in frustration.

The toddler pressed another button on his desk and the pictures began to fast forward until he pressed the same button once more.

He had stopped on the picture of a demon...A demon none other than Ryu.

"Hey, I know him!" Kuwabara cried causing everyone else to sweatdrop.

Koenma rolled his eyes briefly, "Ryu was a demon back even in Shunichi and Kira's time...supposedly he had been destroyed in their final sacrifice to the world..." he said rather sadly, "...But he had escaped into the demon world milliseconds before the attack made contact...And as you know, he has returned seeking revenge on Kira, but instead found Mai."

"Yeah, so?" Urameshi questioned, "We beat his ass, didn't we?"

The child shook his head...

"Not quite..."

:10:-

Mai could only watch her mother from across the fire in a silent awe. The woman stared sadly into the fireplace as she sipped gingerly at the tea in her hands. The Guardian wrung her hands nervously in her lap as she watched the elderly woman. It was as though she was staring into a photograph; as if not a single day had passed...the woman was exactly as she looked in her dreams.

But even though she didn't speak, the question still hung in the air as if it were palpable.

Her mother gently placed the cup on the saucer and turned her eyes on the girl, "It was never supposed to take so long, Mai...I never planned to keep you away for this long...I never planned to leave you in the first place…"

She lowered her eyes, "Then…then why?" she asked softly.

"I needed a job, honey," she replied, "Without any money, I couldn't support you and me together...but I had no college degree and no one wanted me to work for them...Not to mention that I had no home, and I traveled from motel to motel each night...

"But eventually I did find a job...and that's why I came here to find you; I've made enough money to take care of you again!" she said with a smile.

But Mai frowned, "How did you find me, though?"

Her mother smiled almost deviously as a certain light in her eyes gleamed, "I have my sources, dear..."

:10:-

"Ryu used the same devious trick he used nearly fifty years ago and escaped Mai's Spirit Gun attack the other night—"

"Wait, wait, wait!" Yusuke snapped irritably, "That bastard is still alive and out there somewhere!"

Koenma nodded slowly, "Unfortunately, yes...And he's probably searching for some way to find Mai once and for all..."

The Detective cursed darkly to himself and stared back at the screen where the picture of Ryu still waited on the screen. But not for long, however, as a beeping noise echoed in the room and the screen changed so that Kurama was visible on the monitor.

"What is it, Kurama?" Botan asked worriedly.

The red-head glanced around him cautiously before he spoke, "I just walked Mai back to her home," he told the group, but before he could continue, the blue-haired girl sighed with relief.

"So she's okay?"

Suichi shook his head, "I'm not sure...Everything seemed all right when I left, but just a few minutes ago, I felt a foreboding presence back at the bookshop. I was just about ready to go check it out, but I wanted to make sure Yusuke and Kuwabara would be willing to back me up on this one...just in case that is."

The group looked at one another warily...Mai was smart enough to avoid another attack from a demon, wasn't she?

:10:-

Another awkward silence followed as the two women sat alone in the book store. Mai wrung her hands nervously and kept looking to either side of her while her mother's eyes seemed to never leave her. It was unnerving the way she just stared at her like that.

But to break the tension, the woman smiled amiably, "So where are those friends of yours?" she asked casually.

Mai blinked, "What?"

"Your friends, honey," she repeated with a lilt of laughter, "Don't look so surprised, I've learned a lot from my…sources…" she added as she trailed off.

But the Guardian stood swiftly; ignoring her question, "Do you want more tea?" she asked nervously, almost hoping that the woman would agree so she could leave her gaze.

Her mother paused as if trying to comprehend her daughter's sudden change of subject, but then she nodded and smiled sweetly, "Yes please."

Mai stood cautiously and picked the tray up from the ottoman and started to head back towards the kitchen.

But even before she had reached the door, her mother called to her again.

"Mai..."

The dancer turned, but was suddenly thrown into the air by a strong force. The tray smashed to the ground with a crash and books toppled around her. The air within her was knocked out of her and she gasped in surprise.

She rapidly glanced up and gasped in horror as a single tentacle extended from the woman's body and writhed in the air dangerously.

"M-Mom!"

Mai felt the sharp tentacle suddenly constrict around her abdomen as she choked and gasped for air. The woman before her disintegrated before her eye; her skin turned an olive gray and her eyes grew cold and hard. Slithering arms crawled from her body and latched onto the Guardian forcefully.

The girl stared in horror at the new monster before her.

"Ryu!" she gasped in terror.

The demon smirked wickedly and continued to hold the girl into the air and tightened his grip, "You didn't think I'd be destroyed so easily, did you?" he snarled malevolently.

And with a mighty thrust, the girl was thrown against the shelves. Tomes toppled around her as the shelving lost its hold. But she did not have time to recover as Ryu snatched her up again and slammed her through the glass door at the front of the shop.

Glass shattered around her as the Guardian rolled onto the pavement. Shards of the door dug into her flesh and scratched her face ruthlessly.

Mai groaned and struggled to stand with much difficulty. But the demon soon followed through the broken entryway and raised his limb high above his head. And before the girl could dodge the blow, Ryu whipped his arm around and she was sent tumbling into the street.

The Guardian cried out as she felt the shards of glass digging deeper into her flesh. The wound on her stomach threatened to reopen as she sensed the small trickle of crimson blood down her abdomen.

Ryu leapt after the girl and landed before her. He shoved his arm onto her chest, pinning her down.

He drew his face so close to hers that his nose nearly came in contact with hers.

"I will not fail this time, Guardian...

"I will kill you!"

:10:-

"Dammit!" Yusuke cursed as he raced down the road. Botan and Kuwabara stumbled after his rapid pace. Cars honked and screeched to a halt as the trio dashed madly across the street.

They were beginning to sense it now; Ryu's energy was close now...but whether or not he had completed his terrible deed was uncertain.

"Can't she stay out of trouble for one frickin day!" he roared as he turned a corner. The duo behind him tried desperately to keep up with him as he thundered down the pavement towards the bookshop.

But it didn't matter how swiftly he ran...

A cry of terror already raced through the night.

:10:-


	11. Into the Demon Realm!

DISCLAIMER: Nope, no YYH stuff here!

A/N: well since I'm so excited about this next chapter, I'm gonna start it right now! LoL, even though since I'm so excited about it, I'll probably skip through a lot of stuff…o well…

And to my reviewers:

Sk8tergirl69: that's basically what I was thinking! I mean, more friendship kind of relation, but with that added tweak of brotherly/sisterly love!

SerenityRose222

Naoka Asakura 009: yay! A new reader!

Umeko Saito: see! I told you I would use an idea you gave me! LoL

Kurama/is/hot

_Thoughts_

/Yoko Kurama/

_Fire Dancer_

:Into the Demon Realm:

The trio froze with horror as the scream rose above the buildings…The scream that was the same they had heard several nights ago.

But Yusuke did not stand for long, and immediately made a mad dash towards the cry. He was soon followed by Botan and Kuwabara as they trailed after him as quickly as they could.

_Dammit…_He thought angrily as he leapt over a fallen garbage can, _Can't she stay out of trouble for once!_

:11:-

Kurama too was racing towards the girl's terrified cry. They had obviously not been at the bookshop…at least not anymore. The shattered remnants of the windows told him that. But some way or another, Mai had been deeply wounded and a trail of blood helped in leading him to the demon and Guardian.

It appeared that Ryu had either chased or dragged the girl into the small forest that ran along the edge of the road. And trees raced passed him as he dashed swiftly after the trail of blood. Several trees had been slashed down by one of the demon's tentacles and the same foliage had been pushed aside as he charged into the wood.

And up ahead, Mai's scream of terror resounded off the trees and Kurama raced more fervently towards her…

:11:-

Mai desperately tried to crawl away from Ryu's fury as his tentacles lashed out around her. A deep gash trailed along her back and blood poured from the open wound, blending into the girl's crimson tank-top. Scratches and cuts lined her face and arms and her stomach was now drenched with the red liquid after her wound reopened.

She attempted fruitlessly to scramble to her feet, but Ryu's limbs attached themselves to her and entwined around her abdomen. The tentacles began to crush her as his grip tightened mercilessly. The Guardian screamed in pain and writhed as she felt her rib cage groaning, trying to stay together…

Ryu only smirked with delight at her suffering and constricted her further. Black dots clouded her vision and she felt bile within her throat.

_Oh, gods not again…_she thought, _there's no one here to help me now…I'm going to die for sure this time…_

The demon suddenly whipped her against the trunk of a tree, lusting to hear her scream once more. The wood splintered and Mai whimpered painfully as tears welled up in her eyes and she held on to the urge not to scream and fill his desire.

She gritted back the agony within her, "Damn you…" she muttered through clenched teeth, "Damn you, Ryu!" she cried.

He smirked and casually stepped closer to her, gripping her chin in his fist, "There's nothing you can do, though, Guardian…There's no one here this time; you're all alone now…" he chuckled darkly, "So why don't you scream for me? I'll make sure your death is swift and painful, hm?"

But Mai almost immediately spat in his eye furiously. The demon quickly wiped the saliva from his eye and snarled dangerously. He backed up swiftly and roughly threw her to the ground.

The Guardian cried out painfully when her body made contact with the earth. But with his fury mounting, Ryu strode towards the girl with an angry fire in his eye as he raised a razor sharp limb into the air.

The point glinted in the moonlight as he lifted it up above the girl's body.

Mai rolled weakly onto her back and could only watch as the jagged tentacle danced above her, ready to plunge into her flesh.

But she narrowed her eyes dangerously, "Go ahead," she dared in a hoarse whisper, "Kill me…I don't give a damn…"

He smirked with delight, "It would be my deepest pleasure!" he hissed.

And he let the tentacle plunge towards her.

She watched emotionlessly as the razor sharp point raced to meet her flesh. And finally, as if she was already giving up hope, she closed her eyes and waited for death to take hold of her…

But once more…it never came…

Strong arms wrapped around her body as she was lifted up off the ground. She heard Ryu's limb dive harmlessly into the soft earth and his cry of rage.

Daring to look, she opened her eyes carefully and stared up entranced at Kurama's deep green eyes.

Hope filled her as she felt his arms tighten around her protectively. He turned swiftly to face the demon as he set the girl on the ground gently. Mai staggered precariously behind him as the boy created a shield with his body.

In one of his hands, he wielded the same whip/vine thing she had seen him with a few nights ago. He clenched it in his hand dangerously and held it out before him as a warning.

Ryu glared at the young man with the utmost loathing, as his limbs whipped it the air around him.

"You can't take him alone," Mai whispered fearfully.

Suichi smiled reassuringly, "That's why the others are coming to help…"

And no sooner had he said this, than the distant sound of crashing brush entered their ears as the others thundered towards them. But Ryu must have heard them as well and he turned his head swiftly towards the sound furiously.

Mai cowered slightly behind Kurama and cautiously placed her hands on his shoulder, as if it would protect her from the demon's anger. The other three companions, however, were too far away at the moment to be any help against Ryu…

The red-head cracked his whip warningly in front of the demon.

"Stay back…" he cautioned as he took a step forward. And before the dancer could stop him, he raced after the demon while brandishing his whip.

But Ryu saw no threat in the boy and dodged his attack with ease, jumping above his head and landing with a crash behind him. Kurama pivoted and turned to face him once again. The demon, however, was not willing to waste his time on the young red-head.

Before either of them could comprehend what was happening, Ryu switched his attention to Mai swiftly and one of his razor sharp limbs snapped out and latched onto the girl as quick as lightning.

The dancer cried out as the demon lifted her into the air precariously and whipped back the tentacle towards him. He gripped her by the throat and covered her mouth with his scaly hand. Kurama could only watch as the demon held her in a fatal position; one false move and Ryu could snap her neck.

Mai kicked at the beast holding her and screamed, even though the sound was muffled by the demon's hand.

Suichi stood frozen helplessly as the girl continued to struggle. And as the demon continued to grip the girl, the sound of the other three could be heard crashing through the forest brush. Soon, however, Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Botan appeared from out of the trees…but stopped abruptly when they had fully understood what was happening before them.

Ryu—suddenly realizing that he was outnumbered—slowly started to back away from the group with Mai still within his grasp.

Yusuke was the first to react as he immediately placed his hands before him, his index finger pointing out towards the demon and his thumb erect.

But the beast laughed darkly, "Go ahead…" he snarled, "If you attack me, you attack the girl!" he cried and held the dancer further out in front of him.

The Detective paused fearfully as he continued to back away from the group.

Ryu bellowed with victory, however, when the Spirit Detective did not attack, "Fool!" he roared.

And taking one of his tentacles, he sliced the air and the sound of the fabrics of time ripping could be heard as a dark portal appeared in the empty void before him. Electricity crackled along the edges of the gateway as a devious smirk curled at the demon's lips and he took a step towards the entryway.

"Say farewell to your friends, Kira," Ryu snarled to the girl in his clutches, "I doubt you'll see them alive again…"

Then he was gone.

Yusuke clenched his fists angrily as his fury built within him. The portal hissed as it slowly began to close after the pair.

Suddenly, the Detective let out a cry of both rage and anguish as he made a mad dash towards the closing gateway. He saw it beginning to seal quicker as he drew closer, but he was not willing to give up so easily.

"Yusuke, wait!" Botan cried after him, "You don't even know where it goes!"

But Urameshi didn't reply…even though it was probably because he _couldn't_ reply.

With a final dive, he leapt towards the portal and into its black emptiness as it sealed immediately after him, while leaving the others staring at merely the air around him.

"Well that's not good…" Kazuma muttered.

:11:-

Yusuke landed with a _thud_ after he had finally stopped falling. The Detective groaned as he pushed himself off the ground and looked around the wasteland he appeared to be in. The sky burned a crimson red and lightning flashed.

It took a moment before he suddenly recognized the landscape with a sense of dread.

"Oh crap…" he muttered.

His surroundings were all-too familiar at the moment. Not even a month had passed since he had last visited the Demon Realm to fight the Saint Beasts.

He rose to his feet cautiously. The last time he had been there he and Kuwabara had almost immediately been attacked by those Fugaki things…Urameshi shivered, _crazy bastards_ he thought distastefully.

The Detective searched the area carefully. Where the hell could Ryu have gotten to!

But no sooner had this thought crossed his mind; a malevolent laugh could be heard behind him. He whirled and froze when he caught sight of Ryu standing not twenty yards away. How he had snuck past his sight, the Detective didn't know, but he suddenly felt an odd wave of guilt when he became aware of the crumpled figure lying on the dusty earth in front of the demon.

Mai's creamy orange hair blew across her scratched face as her wounds bled freely causing a crimson pool to form around her. Her azure eyes stared at the empty void before here and were glazed over with a lifeless trance; staring at Yusuke helplessly.

Whether she was unconscious or already dead, the Detective did not know…only that the weight of his guilt sent his Reiki level flaring. Yusuke clenched his fists at his side as his eyes glared at the demon furiously.

"Dammit…" Yusuke growled, "Damn you!"

Ryu merely sneered at the boy's anger and chuckled darkly, "That's exactly what the Guardian said…right before I was ready to kill her too…so ironic, really…"

"Shut up!" He roared, "SHUT UP!"

And without exactly knowing what he was doing, the Detective charged full-force towards the demon, his fist clenched and ready to smash Ryu's face in. But the demon laughed at his fruitless attempts and dodged his blow with ease.

But the Spirit Detective whirled quickly and struck another punch at the demon, only to have Ryu jump away with each attack.

Urameshi glared at Ryu with rage, "Dammit! Stop running and fight me!" he bellowed.

The demon smirked malevolently as his eyes darted towards the Guardian lying lifelessly along the earth, "It wouldn't be any fun for the girl if I were to kill you without her…" he grinned.

The Detective growled dangerously, "What are you talking about?" he muttered darkly, "She's not dead!"

Ryu chuckled, "Of course not…I've waited a long time for this moment; the moment where I could destroy both a Spirit Detective and their Guardian!"

Urameshi gritted his teeth as his rage mounted. He glanced quickly towards the girl lying in the pool of blood. Her tangled hair was dyed a deep red as her clouded eyes seemed to stare into the empty void in front of her.

But after a moment, the boy smirked and placed his fists before him in a ready stance, "Too bad you picked the wrong guy to mess around with," he growled.

However, Ryu had other ideas.

With a mighty slash of his tentacle, the demon lashed out at the boy, sending him flying into the air. The Detective landed with a _thud_ on the rocky terrain. He gritted his teeth and tried to stand, but Ryu continued to drill him into the earth with another one of his limbs.

"Neither Kira nor Shunichi could destroy me…You two will be no different!" the demon roared.

His limb constricted tightly around Yusuke's abdomen and whipped him into the air.

"Dammit, Mai!" Urameshi yelled as he struggled to break free, "Since you're not dead, get up off your sorry ass and help me!"

But the girl didn't move…

Even though she heard every word.

:11:-

Mai's PoV

I heard his voice somewhere out there, but I couldn't move; something kept me down. Darkness swelled around me once again and mist curled around my knees. I clutched my sides frightfully as I stared into the black void around me.

"_Dammit Mai!_" Yusuke's voice rang around me. I winced at the intensity of his tone…but where was he?

"—_Since you're not dead, get up off your sorry ass and help me!_"

I wasn't dead? But I had to be dead; there was so much pain and blood…there wasn't any way I could be alive…

"I'm dead, though, Urameshi…" I whispered desolately. Slowly, I fell to my knees and stared down at my hands. I had to be dead; Ryu had killed me…hadn't he?

Wait.

Why the hell was Yusuke here anyway! He didn't give a rat's ass about me…he hadn't even wanted me to stay there at Genkai's and train…why was he here now!

I shivered. It didn't matter now, though; it wasn't like he was doing himself any good, Ryu was probably going to kill him too…Urameshi should have just let me stay there and die…then he wouldn't have had to worry about me getting in his way…

Far off, the sound of the clashing battle echoed towards me and I could hear Yusuke's cries as Ryu attacked him little by little; as if he was stalling the Detective's death…

I clamped my hands over my ears; desperate to drive out the sound, but it only rang with more intensity.

"I can't do it, Urameshi…" I whimpered, "I can't help you!"

The sound of his body crashing into the earth caused me to wince as tears filled my eyes at his struggle. If I was alive, I probably wouldn't be much use to him anyway…The only reason I had 'destroyed' Ryu before was because Kira had helped me—

Kira…

"Gods…oh gods, Kira, where are you?" I whispered tearfully, "I need your help!"

:11:-

Yusuke wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth irritably as he picked himself up. The demon stood before him with a mad gleam in his eyes; lusting for the blood of both him and Mai…

His eyes darted swiftly back towards the Guardian. She needed help and fast…but Ryu had hardly a scratch on him; there was no way either of them could get away before he caught up with them. But if he kept fighting like this, both of them would eventually perish.

At least if worst came to worst; he could use his Spirit Gun…

He clenched his teeth in frustration as he clenched his fist, drawing it back like a trigger. And punching the air, he cried, "SHOT GUN!"

Then, tiny spirit gun bullets shot through the air towards the demon, all of them hitting their mark.

Without taking another look back, however, the Detective turned on his heel and rapidly dashed towards the girl behind him. Swiftly, he placed her arm over his shoulder and lifted her off the ground. Blood spilled from her wounds as he raced across the battle field.

He could hear his attack dying down and Ryu regaining his senses.

"Come on, Mai," he panted as the demon suddenly noticed them racing across the terrain, "Hurry up and wake up, dammit!" he bit his lip, thinking over his words…technically it wasn't like she heard him, right? "Come on…I…I need your help!" he burst almost shamefully.

Ryu was now racing after them, his tentacles cracking like dozens of whips. The ground rumbled with each step the demon took and Yusuke felt a sudden wave of dread sweep over him.

Desperately, he shook the girl, "Dammit. I need your help, Mai! Please, wake up!"

:11:-

Mai's PoV

I froze suddenly when I heard Yusuke's voice.

Had I heard him right?

Did he truly need my help?

…Did…did he truly need _me_?

I could hear his panting breath nearby, as if he was here in the wretched place with me…and…and I could hear Ryu racing closer and closer towards him. I suddenly felt the fear and dread he was witnessing in me…and then, as if it were a distant memory, I heard his voice ring softly through the darkness…

'_It wasn't supposed to be like this! She was never supposed to get hurt!'_

My body sat rigid for a moment as I let his words sink in…

What the hell…?

It hadn't sounded like the words he had spoken aloud; they were quiet and distant, as if…

As if he had been thinking them instead…

Tears formed in my eyes as I clenched my hands in my lap, confused. The teardrops rolled down my cheeks and fell into the inky darkness around me.

"…Mai…"

I gasped suddenly and turned—coming face to face with Kira.

The young maiden looked at me sadly with her deep eyes. It was definitely not the same cheerful girl I had seen only a few days ago; this Kira was aged in wisdom and yet had ever last drop of youth about her.

"Mai," she murmured, "…He needs you…"

I stood slowly before her and looked her in the eyes, but said nothing. The apparition silently clasped one of my hands in hers and held it tightly.

"Do not make the same mistake I did," she said sternly, "Do not let Yusuke fight alone; he needs your help now more than ever…"

"I'm dead, though—" I whispered.

But Kira frowned severely, "You know it isn't so…he believes you are able to come back, why can't you? Mai, despite the fact that he appears to not like you…he knows deep down that he _does_ need help…And he needs your help most of all; you're his Guardian and you need to look out for him."

My tears cascaded down my face, "I'm scared, though…" I murmured.

After a moment, she smiled softly and carefully embraced me in her arms, "Don't be…Like I have said before, I will not abandon you…" a grin that appeared as though she had waited a long time for this moment spread sadly across her face.

"Now…Go beat that bastard down…"

:11:-

Yusuke stumbled as the demon's tentacles whipped at his heels. Mai still lay slumped around his shoulder as he continued to run away from Ryu's attacks.

He couldn't keep running, though…eventually Ryu would catch up and destroy them both; he had to make a stand and finish it! Whether it would finish the demon off or not was uncertain, but either way it would be his final attack…

The Detective swerved so he faced the demon approaching. He quickly shifted Mai's position so that she slumped over his back. He slowly raised his hand so that his fingers were shaped in the form of a gun.

Ryu stopped steadily when he noticed that the boy had decided to fight. The demon leered with delight as he awaited his final attempt to finish him off.

Urameshi gritted his teeth nervously, _well here it goes…_

"Yus…uke…"

He froze with surprise as he turned he head. The Guardian looked at him through partially closed eyes, but nonetheless with enough ferocity to scare anyone.

"Put…put me down…" she ordered sternly.

It took a moment before he realized that he was talking to him…she had been in a trance so long that he had forgotten that she was even still alive.

But he shook his head, "Hell no, you won't be able to stand! In any case, I have this under control!"

She glared at him angrily, "Don't be such a jackass; Ryu won't go down with just one Spirit Gun attack…" she whispered hoarsely, "We've already realized that it doesn't work!"

The Detective glowered despite the seriousness of the situation and carefully set her down on her feet. The girl winced as she tried to take a step forward; obviously in serious pain. But she only gritted her teeth and continued a few steps onward.

"On three…fire your Spirit Gun attack…" she muttered.

Yusuke watched her carefully, "You think this will work?"

"Just do it, Urameshi…" she whispered.

Across the field, Ryu laughed malignantly at Mai's attempts to succeed, "Don't worry, Guardian! I will make sure both of you die as painfully as I can!"

"One…" she whispered.

Urameshi raised his hand in the position of his Spirit Gun and the girl weakly did the same. Both stood rigid for a moment as the demon continued to mock their efforts.

"As I said before; neither Kira nor Shunichi could defeat me! It will only be a matter of time before you witness their fates!" Ryu roared with a dark chuckle.

"Two…"

Sweat perspired off of Mai's brow as she struggled to keep standing and her knuckles turned white with the same effort.

"Hey Urameshi…" she whispered.

"What?" he asked, never taking his eyes off of the demon.

"If this doesn't work…I…I just wanted to let you know that it would have been an honor to train with you and the others…"

The Detective went slightly rigid and eyed the girl curiously. She turned her head weakly and sent him a small grin before returning her attention to Ryu; the demon that for so long plagued Kira and now herself…

The demon that was the reason for Shunichi and Kira's deaths…

The demon that was responsible for even bringing Yusuke and herself together as Detective and Guardian…

The demon that needed to die once and for all…

"Three…"

:11:-

A/N: ahhhhhhhhhhhh! Sorry about the new cliffie!

But I did say that this chapter would be better, didn't I?

:silence:

:Nervous laugh: okay then! Sorry about all the jumpiness, I guess when I get excited about a chapter I tend to rush through things…

o well!

PLEASE R&R!

Ciao!


	12. Enter Mai: Fire Maiden

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any YYH stuff…

A/N: ::nervous laugh:: ah well, sorry about the cliffhangers, I know you guys aren't too fond of them…

But I just love them!! I can't help it!!

LoL, but thanks to my reviewers:

Serinay Kawasaki: ::nervous laugh:: yeah, sorry about the cliffie….

Dragonfairy: Yeah, I'm sort of starting to want a Yusuke/Mai fic, but since the votes are in, there's nothing much I can do…But I assure you, there aren't any sparks between them…

Kurama/is/hot

SerenityRose222

Sk8tergirl69

StarrFirePhoenix: for what seems like the hundredth time (to me at least) I really wish I could reopen the polls…I just don't want to betray those who voted Kurama…

_Thoughts_

/Yoko Kurama/

LoL, and I know this probably doesn't matter now, but now I'm kinda wishing for a Yusuke/Mai fic…ha, o well!! I left the choice up to you guys, so there's nothing I can do about it!!! I don't mind the Kurama/Mai pairing…it's just that I think that Yusuke and Mai would have been cute together…

….

I'M SO CONFUSED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For one thing, I really sorta do want a Yusuke/Mai pairing, but I don't want to betray my reviewers who voted for Kurama!!

::spins around in chair with frustration:: GAH!! Why is this so hard??!!

….

….

Sorry about that…but if you guys could help me out a little here, I would be extremely appreciative!! If you have any suggestions for me, you can email me at please please please help me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Enjoy the next chapter!!

NOTE: But just as a little heads up (and an apology) I might've changed what I was going to do in my summary (under my profile) by just a little bit… ::nervous laugh::

_Fire Dancer_

::Enter Mai: Fire Maiden!::

And a mighty blast shook the earth as the two attacks roared across the battlefield. Ryu's cry of terror raced through the sky as both Spirit Guns charged towards him. His cry was true this time; and he felt the fear within him mounting as his death hovered over him ominously.

Mai cried out when her body could take no more. Her attack faded and sent her stumbling backwards into Yusuke. The Detective quickly cut his assault short and caught the girl before she collapsed.

Both blasts howled towards the demon, each of them charging dangerously close to one another…Until, that is, they both collided directly before Ryu.

Time seemed to stand still as the two assaults morphed into one another; growing immensely in front of the demon.

Then, the two Spirit Guns erupted in a fiery inferno; quaking the earth beneath them. The demon's roar of terror bellowed through the air as fragments of rock and gravel rose into the air. The Detective and Guardian shielded their eyes as the magnificently bright light enveloped what seemed like the entire Demon Realm.

But from the center of the explosion, Ryu's cry soon faded beneath the terrible rumble of the earth, and to their horror, fragments of the demon's flesh were flung into the sky.

After what seemed like an eternity, the light from the attack faded away.

Yusuke and Mai blinked as the explosion settled. Nothing lingered behind but the single crater that had been created…not even a particle of Ryu's flesh remained…

Cautiously, Urameshi rose and helped Mai to her feet. She stumbled briefly, but swiftly recovered when the boy—almost irritably—placed her arm over his shoulder.

The duo sat in an odd silence as the dust steadily began to clear.

"It…it worked…" he said in almost disbelief.

But the girl didn't answer him immediately; she could only stare at the crater in a silent awe as Yusuke held her up.

They had done it…they had really done it…once and for all they had destroyed Ryu!!

She sighed heavily and bowed her head as teardrops shimmered in her eyes, "At last…" she murmured and gently placed her hand to her heart, "…It's done, Kira…"

It took a moment before Yusuke cleared his throat and looked around nervously, "Er…we should probably try and find a way out of this rat-hole, shouldn't we?"

Mai flushed slightly at the cheeks and straightened herself abruptly, (A/N: I know it seems like a few sparks, but it's not, I swear!!! Just think about how much they've hated one another and how awkward this situation would feel…) "Yeah…"

But before either of them could begin walking, the Guardian froze timidly and stared down at her feet.

"Yusuke?"

The boy watched her carefully with a slight hint of irritation in his eye, "Yeah?"

She bit her lip tenderly, "Does…Does this mean that we're…erm…friends?" she asked softly.

The Detective went rigid as his ears burned a bright red. He went stiff and turned his head away, "Yeah sure, whatever…"

Mai frowned dangerously, "'Whatever'?" she chorused angrily, "_Whatever_? Dammit Yusuke, even after all this you're still a dumbass…" she puffed out her cheeks irritably and if she could, she probably would have stormed off again.

"Hey, if it weren't for me, you'd be dead!!" he returned hotly, "I didn't _have_ to come and help you, you know…"

The Guardian glared at him dangerously, "Of course you didn't…" she muttered, "That's why even though you were here, you still felt guilty for me getting hurt."

He opened his mouth to reply, but froze; suddenly baffled by his own reasoning. He thought for a moment, but not before the girl rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Just—Whatever…" she muttered, "Let's just get out of here…"

But before either of them could speak, there came a soft ringing from Yusuke's pants. Mai cocked an eyebrow as the boy reached into his pocket and pulled out the bright pink communicator.

"You still carry that around?" she inquired almost distastefully.

The Detective scowled but didn't answer as he flipped open the compact. Mai watched as Botan's face popped up on the screen.

"Oh thank gods, you two are alright!" she exclaimed immediately, "We were getting worried about you!! But what about Ryu?"

"He's gone," Yusuke replied shortly, "But have you found a way to get us out of this hell-hole?!"

Botan sweat-dropped and scratched her head nervously, "Uh…not quite?"

An artery pulsed in the Detective's temple, "Excuse me?!"

The blue-haired girl huffed irritably, "Alright, alright!! Jeeze…"

There was a small _pop_ and Botan appeared in front of them looking rather agitated. She crossed her arms as the pair watched her warily as if she would pop (literally) any second.

"And you could have done that any time?" Mai asked suspiciously.

Botan turned to her—once again somewhat perky—with a nervous grin, "Ah…not exactly," she laughed awkwardly, "You see, I tried to earlier, but something wouldn't let me pass; quite strange really…" she said as she tapped her chin thoughtfully, "But as you see, I'm here to take you guys back!"

"Thank gods," Yusuke muttered as Mai sent him a hurtful glare.

_So much for being friends…_she thought unhappily and hung her head so that neither of them could see the tears forming in her eyes…

-:12:-

"Hey Botan, I thought we were going back to the Living World," Yusuke muttered as the trio strolled down the brightly lit hallway.

The girl merely smiled cheerfully, "Oh, I didn't say anything about the Living World; all I said was that I was going to take you guys 'back'!" she chirped, "Don't worry, Koenma just wanted to see you guys before I dropped you off…"

Mai still needed to lean on Urameshi for support—much to his dismay—but now, her wounds were bandaged and cleaned and already starting to recover. She listened silently, however, to the two of them as they continued to converse.

It pained her that Yusuke still didn't want her around; that despite all of this, he was still so hot-headed and prideful.

_Was he always like this?_ She thought grimly, _or is it just me?_

Botan stopped abruptly in front of a pair of large doors and knocked cautiously.

"Koenma, sir?"

It took a moment, before the doors swung open and the trio stepped inside. The first thing Mai noticed was the rather large desk placed in the middle of the room and the stacks of papers surrounding it. A screen had been pulled down from the ceiling and now sat in front of the desk.

Almost immediately, however, there came a slight shuffling and—what appeared to be—a small child poked his head out from behind the papers.

The Guardian sweat-dropped slightly and was tempted to ask Botan why he was so short, but wisely held her tongue.

"So why'd you want us here?" Yusuke asked shortly as they moved in front of the desk.

The toddler said nothing for a moment; his eyes remaining locked on the girl…as if looking for something in her features. But then he folded his hands in authority, "Because there is something Mai needs…"

She raised her eyebrow suspiciously, "Me?"

Urameshi rolled his eyes, "Well duh…" he muttered quietly so only she could hear him.

But the dancer chose to ignore him as Koenma jumped from his seat and marched calmly across the room. The trio followed behind slowly and carefully; unsure of what exactly he had in mind.

He stopped in front of another door where Botan muttered to herself, "I don't think I've ever seen that before…"

The child swiftly opened the door and stepped inside as the others following in after him. The entire room was dark, all save for a single pillar of light shining somewhere from up above. Their eyes followed the beam until it landed softly upon the object lying on top of the pedestal.

Mai only watched in silent awe as the mysterious light shimmered gracefully off of the staff placed beneath it…

Kira's staff…

The dancer slowly broke away from Yusuke's support and attempted to stand on her own. Her eyes never left the golden staff in front of her…as if it were calling to her; pulling her towards it…

She took a wary step forward and shook dangerously when she felt her strength leaving her. But she swiftly recovered and continued on.

The others said nothing, not even Koenma, as she stumbled towards the staff. They were all watching…their eyes never leaving her…

Eternity seemed to pass her by as she made her way towards the pedestal. _It couldn't be…_she kept thinking. But as she neared the dais, she felt the pull resonating from it, growing stronger as if it were sensing her presence nearby.

With a final step, she stood before the plinth and beneath the golden pillar of light. Her heart beat faster and faster as she stared down at the staff.

Wrought in pure gold and veined in silver streams, it shimmered eerily off of the glow above her. Flames crawled along the sides and grew as they reached the top; making it appear as though the staff were on fire. Her eyes lingered on the very pinnacle of the rod and at the two fiery red gems embedded into the flames. Each gem was entwined with a vein of gold and silver that ran up and down the pole in a complex system of twists and curves.

Mai stood frozen for a moment taking in the facts…

So long ago had Kira held this staff in her hands; wielding it before demons and protecting Shunichi…so long ago had the staff been placed here and waited for the next Guardian to take it up…

_Mai…_

With a shaky hand, the dancer carefully reached out towards the golden rod and let her fingers trail along the sleek surface. She felt a sudden charge of energy race through her fingertips as they dragged along the staff as if it had finally found its owner…

She made a move to grasp the rod, but froze fearfully.

What…What if she wasn't ready for this?

_Mai, I will always be here for you…_

The Guardian bit her lip tenderly as she recoiled her hand. What if it was all a mistake?

No.

She couldn't think like that…Kira had confidence in her; confidence that there was no mistake in this. Kira had waited for so long to have another Guardian come after her and take her place…

It was her turn.

'_I know! I'll be your Spirit Guardian, Shi-Shi! Then we'll always be together!'_

Mai drew in a shuddering breath as she carefully outstretched her hand a final time towards the staff…

And at last, her hand enclosed around the staff.

Then, as if a sudden power had been unleashed, flames suddenly enveloped the rod and inched up her hand. But she felt no pain, only the heat racing through her body, filling her with a new energy…a type of energy she had never experienced before.

_He needs your help…_

A sudden presence filled her now; a presence that seemed to awaken a hidden power within her. She gasped in surprise as she felt her veins coursing rapidly with the new energy and adrenaline.

Her fist clenched around staff and forced herself not to let go.

_Don't let him fight alone…_

A blast like a desert wind whipped around her; her hair billowing around her furiously. The flames crawling on the staff were now inching up her arm, and around the rest of her body. The fire enveloping her appeared to be drawn to her chest where her heart began to pump faster and faster.

But once her entire body had been surrounded in flames, there was a flash and the fired was suddenly being drawn into her chest; into her heart.

When the fire had been drawn into her, there was another flash as the whole room was filled with the light.

Once the beam had faded, Mai stood alone before the dais…her hand tightly wrapped around the staff.

The Guardian breathed heavily as she leaned on the rod…silent tears of joy trickling steadily down her face.

-:12:-

A/N: sorry it was so short you guys (and that it sort of sucked ::nervous laugh::) but I was just trying to update as soon as I could.

And PLEASE you guys, please help me out here!

I don't want any of you who voted for Kurama to feel betrayed, but I also sort of think that Yusuke and Mai would be good together…

DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT!! Why is it so hard??!!!

Please email me at for any suggestions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


	13. Epiphany

DISCLAIMER: no YYH stuff here!!

A/N: Hey, sorry about the crappiness of the last chapter, but I assure you this one will be a little better and we will have some of our favorite characters back for some fun!!

NOTE: THIS MIGHT BE MY LAST CHAPTER!!! If it isn't, I will have a much shorter chapter just to wrap it all up!

It may take a week or so for me to start Fire Angel, though, but please stay with me!!! I promise I'll update soon!!

Thanks to my reviewers and all of those who have supported me through this entire fic!!:

Inuhottie

Sk8tergirl69

Serinay Kawasaki

Enjoy the next chapter!!!

_Thoughts_

'_Kira'_

/Yoko Kurama/

_Fire Dancer_

::Epiphany::

Mai opened her eyes to find herself clutching Kira's staff to her chest protectively. She blinked a few times before rolling onto her back and staring up into the ceiling.

Sunlight danced along the sheets and the plywood flooring. Someone had opened the window next to her bed and now the curtains swayed softly in the morning breeze. Birds chirped from the tree beside the bedroom and further off, the faint sounds of the city could be heard beyond.

Her body ached painfully as she remembered the events from the day before. She heaved a sigh and stretched almost cat-like beneath the covers.

After a moment, she tossed her legs over the side of the bed and sat on its edge precariously before rising to her feet and moving towards the mirror in the corner of the room.

She rubbed the sleep from her eyes wearily as she blinked into the mirror.

"Holy crap!!!" she cried; nearly screaming the words.

And almost immediately, the sound of two pairs of footsteps could be heard running down the hallway and towards her room. The door was flung open to reveal Yusuke and Kuwabara.

"What? What's wrong—?!"

But the girl whirled on them, her face turning a bright red seeing that all she wore were a pair of pretty small shorts and a bra along with the bandages around her middle.

"Get out!!" She shrieked frenetically, "Get out!! Get out!!!"

The duo was forced back into the hallway as the door slammed behind them. They stood dazed for a moment.

"Well that was weird," Kuwabara stated as they made their way back down the hall.

"Yeah well...she's weird," the Detective replied.

Mai ran her fingers through her hair frantically as she stared wide-eyed at the bright red roots along her scalp. Hardly any of her hair remained the same creamy orange color except for the very tips. And as she looked further, she noticed that it wasn't only the crimson color at the roots of her hair, but a deeper red—almost black—hue fading in and out.

Not to mention that her eyes had gone from azure to a deep blue with flecks of violet and periwinkle. Her ears too were more angled than usual to almost the point where they looked almost...

Almost demon-like...

"Oh crap..." she whimpered to herself, "Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap..."

A soft giggling could be heard in the back of her mind, _'Do you like it?'_

"Kira!" she gasped and looked around the room, expecting to see the apparition nearby, "But I'm not dreaming!" she tried to explain.

The former Guardian laughed softly, _'No you're not...You don't have to be dreaming for me to speak with you now!' _she could almost sense her smiling.

"But...But what's this?!" Mai hissed and stroked her hair fretfully, "I hardly even look like myself anymore!"

'_Well...'_ she started thoughtfully, _'I guess since you aren't a full demon, the effect was different for you...But since you picked up my staff, your powers have been working within you; building up and making ready to truly evolve. But to do that, I guess your body itself had to evolve as well to contain all of the power...'_

"So I'm stuck like this?" the girl asked rather glumly.

Kira giggled, _'I guess so...You might as well get used to it, Mai...' _she said as if she was trying to sound scornful, _'Your life is changing, and not even you or Yusuke can change that course...'_

-:13:-

About a half hour later Mai emerged from her bedroom fully dressed in a pink poncho and jeans. Her socks shuffled across the floor warily as she checked each corner before continuing on.

Kira assured her that she had nothing to worry about and that the others would find the change somewhat normal compared to some other things that they've come to see...

But she couldn't help feeling nervous as she made her way through the quiet home. It wasn't just the outside of her that felt different, but the inside too. She could sense something unusual within her; pumping within her blood and through her veins. Like a sudden rush of adrenaline...except for the fact that it was always there...

Ahead of her in the kitchen, she heard the soft voices of Yusuke, Kuwabara and Genkai...Botan might have been there too, but at the moment Mai couldn't tell.

Taking a deep breath, she folded her arms over her stomach nervously and stepped into the room without saying a word to anyone.

But at once it seemed the three of them quieted down. The Guardian noticed that Genkai and the two boys sat at the table and Botan was fishing for something in one of the cabinets.

All four of them, however, watched her silently as she stood awkwardly in the middle of the kitchen.

_At least Genkai doesn't look as shocked as the others..._she thought trying to be hopeful.

"So what did you do?" Yusuke asked as he tried to conceal a snicker, "Did you sleep on a ketchup bottle or something?"

Mai rolled her eyes; that was pitiful if that was the best insult he could come up with.

"Yeah, Urameshi," she said with a mix of sarcasm and depression, "And then I put Miracle Grow on my ears..."

Kuwabara tried to conceal a snort of laughter as the Detective shot him a dangerous look. The girl too, smiled slightly; at least she had gotten a laugh out of someone.

Genkai took a sip of her tea and set it down on the table. It seemed as though Mai's new look didn't seem to bother her, "I assume, then, Mai that once your wounds are healed you'll want to start training?"

It took a moment before the girl realized that the woman didn't seem to notice her change, "Uh, yes actually..." she said and nodded, "I would want to start training..." she looked down at her hands nervously, "But do you think that...that maybe I could stop back home and pick up a few things?"

She nodded and picked up her tea cup again, "Yusuke can go with you..."

Urameshi whirled and Mai's expression fell, "What?!" they chorused together.

-:13:-

"You know...this is all your fault," Yusuke grumbled as they crossed the street.

Mai shoved her hands into her pockets, "It's not like I wanted you to come along; I wanted to go by myself..."

The pair sat in a silence as they walked down the sidewalk. The streets were less crowded now by a considerable amount compared to the day before. Most shops were closed anyway so it wasn't very likely that many people would be out and about...

It only took another five minutes or so before they turned onto the street the bookshop was on. Mai felt a tug on her heartstrings as she noticed the shattered windows and glass panels still lying unattended to on the pavement. She sighed heavily as the neared the store and miserably climbed up the steps.

She was careful to avoid the precariously sharpened edges around the doorframe as she made her way inside and over the fallen books. Yusuke noticed—as they entered the building—that in several places Mai's blood stained either the shelves or the carpet. Shelves had collapsed and the books lay in a heap on the floor.

The Guardian sighed again as she ran a hand through her newly colored hair, "I'll only be a few minutes," she told him, "You can wait down here if you want..."

And she was gone up the steps in the back of the store.

Yusuke folded his arms and looked around the room in boredom. Despite the fact that nearly half the shop was destroyed, the store was rather plain and dull.

The Detective sighed as well and made his way towards one of the red armchairs. He plopped down in it wearily as it groaned beneath him and he kicked his legs up onto the ottoman lazily.

His eyes suddenly fell on the single, leather-bound book beside him on the table. Curiosity overcame him as he cautiously lifted the tome from its resting spot and flipped through the pages.

It was a photo album...

-:13:-

Mai's PoV

I sighed sadly and looked around the room. Everything was as it had been the day before; clothes strewn across the floor and the bed partially made.

Taking my backpack and a small suitcase from my closest, I placed them both on my bed; first gathering all my school books and papers and stuffing them in my bag until it was full. I then threw in the little clothes that lay on the floor and carelessly tossed them into the suitcase.

Finally I would have a home with actual friends to be a family...

But why was I so depressed?

_It's a leap of faith_...I told myself, _I'm finally willing to trust once more and deep down, my heart isn't ready for it..._

I took the photo from my nightstand and gently tucked it beneath my clothes. Next came my CD's as I packed them into one of the side pockets.

There wasn't really much left except for my CD player...but it seemed as though something was missing...

-:13:-

Yusuke felt his hands tremble as he turned the pages. It wasn't the fact that he was spying that made him shaky, but that with each picture he felt his guilt press harder and harder around him.

It was only until he heard Mai's footsteps on the stairs, did he hurriedly shut the book and toss it back onto the table.

The girl appeared at the base of the stairs hauling her backpack and a suitcase that hadn't even been filled. He rose from the chair, trying to seem casual as she stopped to rest next to the cash register.

"I left a note for Ms. Megumi..." she told him, "I said that burglars broke into the store and I'm staying over at a friends' until it's safe to come back..." she shifted the weight of her backpack on her shoulder, "That's sounds reasonable, right?"

Urameshi nodded, but after looking through the album, it was hard to picture her the same way...All those photos with her 'protector' when she was so happy and without a care in the world. And how they soon changed when the boy never appeared anymore in the picture; and how Mai's cheerfulness was suddenly swept out from beneath her...

After a moment Mai cocked an eyebrow, "Are you okay?"

He shook his head as if clearing his mind, "Uh...yeah..." he rubbed the back of his neck nervously and gave her a weak grin, "Er...let me help you with that..."

Yusuke took her suitcase from her as she watched him, speechless. The boy placed the bag over his shoulder and shuffled out the door. It took another moment before Mai regained her wits and followed after him.

"Yusuke Urameshi, I'm surprised in you..." she said awe-filled, "I would have never guessed..."

The Detective grinned slightly, "Well who knows?" he told her casually, "I'm a surprising person..."

Mai paused curiously, but he continued on the road without another word.

What the...?

It was a moment or so before Urameshi turned back towards her, "Hey, are you coming or not?!" he demanded.

The Guardian stood for a second before smiling; "Yeah!" she called and merrily jogged after him...

-:13:-

A/N: well sorry this one was so short too, but I have a book report due Friday and I still need to finish the book ::gulps::

O well!!

I hoped you guys enjoyed!! If you're lucky I might put up an epilogue/preview for Fire Angel in a few days!!

Thank you all so much for sticking with me through all of this!!!

I luv you all!!!!

Ciao!!!!!!!!!!


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